


kardeş

by iooiu



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Big Brother Uchiha Itachi, Gen, He'll get one, I've had this idea forever, Kid Uzumaki Naruto, Naruto is Just Naruto, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Uchiha Sasuke Needs a Hug, i think, if you like good fanfics then maybe dont read this, itachi just wants to play with little kids, my writing is BAD so you've been warned, naruto likes headpats, orphan naruto, sasuke has a lot of reminiscing to do, they're just one big messed up family and im just vibin'
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 38,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24010969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iooiu/pseuds/iooiu
Summary: Naruto was an orphan at seven. Sasuke had been seven when he was orphaned.The similarity was uncanny, but maybe it was that similarity that gave Itachi the spark he once lost..          .           .Sasuke meets Naruto on a stormy afternoon, with winter's chill settling into the air and the promise of a raging storm on the horizon. Maybe it was the look in the boy's eyes or the way he smiled through his pain, or maybe it was the memories of the past threatening to drown him from the inside and plunge him into a dark abyss he so long ago thought he suppressed; whatever it was, it made Sasuke stay instead of walk away, and invite the little orphan boy into his home.
Relationships: Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruko, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 64
Kudos: 91





	1. storm clouds and truce tokens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no this isn't a romantic sasunaru fic, naruto's a baby boy  
> also, maybe cover your eyes while reading? that would be great

Walking down the last flight of stairs, Sasuke _really_ had to consider his life choices. His muscles screamed at him to just _stop moving_ , and threatened to cease functioning all together on numerous occasions as he made his way to the exit. Basketball had been a pain in every body part he knew of and then some, and it was only by some small miracle that it happened to be a Friday. His body was already in the process of readying itself for a long evening of doing absolutely nothing, and he couldn’t wait to get officially started.

Few students lingered here and there in the halls, probably fishing out the last of their things for the long weekend. Most of the teachers already high-tailed it out of the building, wanting nothing more than to be free from the wretched campus. Stormy grey skies promised a raging storm later that night, if the thundering black clouds rolling towards the city were anything to go by. Adjusting the grip on his shoulder bag, Sasuke trotted down the last few flights of stairs with the high hopes of relaxing all evening.

“Sasuke! Wait up!”

Sasuke, in fact, did not ‘wait up’. He had half the mind to walk faster and blatantly ignore the soon-to-be nuisance jogging to catch up to him. He tried his best to be nonchalant, but nobody in the near vicinity could’ve ignored the shrill cry of his name. He braced himself for the inevitable, as persistence was this person’s strong suits. No matter what she did, she did it with determination. Even if that meant getting rejected over and over again. Persistence was a good quality to have; in _any_ other circumstance besides this one.

Never one to disappoint, Sakura bounded next to him, cheeks dusted with a light pink and short hair bouncing with each step. The vibrant shade of pink always an eyesore in his mind. It was an onslaught of the colour that made her hard to ignore. For as long as Sasuke knew her, Sakura possessed the same colour of hair. He actually never even saw her real hair colour (it was kind of scary; her roots never changed either. Sasuke seriously considered the colour to be natural)

The girl didn’t seem to notice his disdain; either that or she was simply too deep in her bubbly personality to care.

Don’t get him wrong. He didn’t _hate_ Haruno. There was very little to dislike about her. She was smart, helpful, and strong (both physically and elsewhere, if he remembered the horrific bruise Sakura had given the boy who harassed her after school a few years back). She was also easy on the eye. She was everything a guy would want in a lady. Unfortunately for her, Sasuke was _not_ that guy.

“Just got off from basketball? I think I saw Hinata waiting for Neji back in the parking lot.” She stated. Neji _was_ in his basketball team, not that he was going to say it out loud. The only reason Sakura would still be on campus would be because she either had soccer practice or was coming back from that weird kick-boxing club. Sasuke could care less.

“Anyways, I don’t want to bother you,” She was doing a terrific job with that, “but I was wondering if you would want to hang out this weekend? Chouji and Ino are setting up a get together at his place?” She asked, and her green eyes practically shone with hope. He honestly didn’t _hate_ Haruno, but the one thing that made her so overbearing was her obvious affection towards him. She confessed countless times, and Sasuke was starting to get the idea that she _liked_ being turned down. She was a nice girl, and everything Sasuke was _not_ looking for.

He settled on a curt ‘sorry, can’t, I’m busy’ that led her shining green eyes to dull a bit. But one of her many redeeming qualities was how she was self-reliant. She didn’t stay hung up on someone or something for too long. That, Sasuke would admit, was a relief. She brightened up, nodded, and left him at the double doors of the main entrance with extra room to breathe.

That was one problem out the window.

He savoured the last wisps of warmth the building supplied, sucking in one last breath before entering the domain of raging cold winds and crisp pre-winter air. It stung his lungs and bit his cheeks, and sent relentless shivers down his spine. The storm hadn’t even _hit_ yet, and the wind was already tearing him to shreds. He steeled his nerves, stuffing his hands further into his pockets and burying his nose into his scarf. It was times like these that he hated not having a car to drive (he did have a car, but his license had been temporarily suspended, for ‘ _speeding_ ’. What a bunch of bullshit). He pushed forward, knowing that standing still would only elongate his suffering unnecessarily. The chill reminded him of the fish he had left to defrost on his countertop, and made the responsible decision to go and make something easier, like a sandwich instead. He had the feeling that by the time he got to his apartment, his resolve would be close to diminished, and he would want nothing more than to just ‘do nothing’.

Sasuke watched his breath leave his mouth in thin, white wisps swirling up before disappearing into the white sky. It was going to be a harsh storm, and it was also going to be his excuse as to why he refused to leave his apartment.

His route was imbedded into his system, and his legs moved on autopilot. He surveyed the shops and bustling streets around him half-heartedly, taking in the rushed footsteps and flashing lights. A lot of dine-ins were flowing with people gracious for a protective cover away from the harsh winds, and Sasuke couldn’t blame them. This storm was going to be a big one. It was winter’s grand entrance.

The sign before him flashed green, and he walked past the lineup of cars waiting at the intersection. Such a mundane task, and it would have been so unnecessary if his damn license wasn’t _suspended_. He blamed Itachi for it; the older Uchiha was the one who egged him into beating Suigestu and Kisame to the grocery store by _speeding_. Sasuke refused to acknowledge that he fell for it. He was merely pressing the gas pedal too hard.

With one final turn, and with legs that felt like popsicles, Sasuke’s apartment complex came into view. A boring building mostly occupied by college students not living with their parents. The cheapest and closest housing facility to the campus. It really was convenient, being a twenty-minute walk. It wouldn’t _have_ to be a walk if he had a damn car-

He stopped before the thick glass doors, eyes narrowed, his hand frozen midair. He strained his ears against the whistling wind. He couldn’t have imagined it. He knew the sound all too well.

He listened.

There it was again.

He wasn’t imagining it then. He could clearly hear it now that he was focusing on it. The sound of a scuffle.

Now, in all honesty, Sasuke could simply _ignore_ whatever happened to be going to in the alley beside his apartment. He really could. He could simply walk into the building and forget ever hearing the sound of… crying? He wasn’t too sure. Whatever it was, Sasuke would’ve totally ignored it, had the kid not pulled a _knife_ out.

They were, in fact, a bunch of kids. And Sasuke was _pretty sure_ they weren’t supposed to have a _knife_. Because a group of kids fighting and a knife was never a good combination. Best case scenario was someone would be nursing stab wounds for the night.

Sasuke knew for a fact what the worst-case scenario could be.

He yelled, mustering every ounce of rage (he had a lot in storage) into his glare as he swore and bluffed his way out of a fight. He startled the kids good, and when they saw his clear height advantage, they scattered like rats. The one with the weapon had the broken nerve to just drop his knife altogether, booking it as fast as his scrawny legs could take him. Sasuke let out a breath, thanking the lord that he didn’t have to nurse stab wounds that evening. They were always such a pain to deal with, even after all his experience. Sasuke bent down to pick up the blade, slightly impressed at the polished state of the knife. It had a kind owner. Sasuke could commend good knife care. He pocketed it (it was best not to let such a find go to waste).

He turned to the object of the boy’s entertainment, and sighed again when he realized it was a _smaller_ kid. He didn’t seem to be dead, if the way his eyes widened and he scrambled up had anything to go by. In the dull lighting of the shadowed alley, Sasuke could make out messy brown hair and blue eyes. The kid was filthy, which prompted the realization that he was probably a street kid. What a pity. The child stood on shaky legs, regaining his strength before messily bowing by the waist.

“Thank you, sir!” he squeaked, and Sasuke, for the life of him, could not help but give back a small ‘you’re welcome’. He wasn’t a monster, or well, internally he wasn’t. He had ‘manners’, and knew how to reply to a simple ‘thank you’.

“Where are your parents?” he asked, because he also knew that where there was a child, there was probably some kind of guardian too.

Or not, judging by how the kid cheerfully told him that he lived on his own. In this very alley. Sasuke could vaguely make out a dirty pile of rags sitting in the corner, shielded by a large metal plate.

Okay, cool. He could totally walk away now, giving the kid his uneaten apple as a token of parting. Totally. Because he could _totally_ sleep at night knowing this kid would most likely freeze to death. He would go home, eat his soon-to-be-made sandwich and sit in a warm bed reading his favourite novel before snuggling up in soft blankets with the tell-tale promise of a life in the morning. Except now he had to add the fact that his sleep would be chased away with the knowledge that comes ratty kid was dying beside his apartment, and it was times like these that he despised having a functioning conscience.

Itachi would have given him a pat on the head for this.

The kid was giving him a questioning look, and Sasuke realized he’d been glaring at him for a solid minute. Curse his inability to think with a passive face. (he had a lot of rage in storage).

“There’s a storm coming.” He began slowly, and then kicked himself because obviously this kid would already _know_ that. It was freezing outside. The brunette nodded anyways, a frown dancing on his face.

“It’s going to get really cold.” That’s it, just keep describing his inevitable death for him. The kid nodded again, more downtrodden then before.

Sasuke was going to regret this. He kept telling himself to just walk away. Walk away because he couldn’t just help every orphan out there. This child just happened to run into him. There were countless people in his position. Sasuke kept _telling_ himself that this kid probably knew what he was doing.

But seeing an orphan after being orphaned? Somehow it made the urge to protect the child from things he’s already experienced that much stronger. Sasuke was no older sibling; that was Itachi’s forte, but he _did_ know how it felt like to sleep in the cold. Granted, it was a sheltered cold, but cold none-the-less. If Sasuke could keep this kid warm, even if it was just until the storm blew off, it would be enough to leave him feeling light for weeks.

So, he steeled his resolve and sighed, telling himself that it was a deed worth doing. Who knows, maybe it’ll come back at him later in life when he needs it most.

“So, I’ll let you stay with me until the storm-“

“Really?!” Ahh, his eardrums have been penetrated and destroyed. This is a good idea. This is a good idea. This is a good idea. (please be a good idea).

The child bounced on the balls of his feet, eyes shining and giving Sasuke a full-toothed smile. Sasuke himself was surprised to find the kid had clean teeth. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t as far gone as he initially thought. Sasuke nodded wordlessly, rethinking his life choices as he watched the brunette vibrate with excitement, and then berated himself as the onslaught of words poured out of his tiny body and hit Sasuke faster then he could process them.

“You mean it!? You’re not joking? You’re actually gonna’ let me stay! You’re not gonna’ kick me out or anythin’? Oh wow, do you let any kid into your house? You must be really nice. Hey hey, how much do you w’nt?”

At the pause, Sasuke realized this question needed a response, and he raised his eyebrow.

“How much do I want of what?”

“R’nt.” … oh, he was referring to rent.

Sasuke backtracked. Right, because this wasn’t a _normal_ , standard kid. Who was he kidding, thinking he could wordlessly plop a filthy street child into his apartment for the weekend and expect it to go as smoothly as if it were Itachi visiting? Of course, there would be mishaps like this one. Where this kid would mistake genuine kindness (he kept telling himself that he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he left this kid to die beside his apartment, because really, he rather liked his undisturbed sleep) for a favour he needed to repay. Sasuke would know, he’s been in this kid’s ratty shoes. His conscience chose a great time to gather the pathetically small wisps of empathy scattered around his soul and bunch it together, waving it around proudly.

“You don’t have to pay me back.”

“I ‘can’! Don’t think I c’n’t!” The kid cried in indignation. _Indignation_. As if Sasuke was ‘pitying’ him. Sasuke didn’t _do_ pity. Pity was an evil thing that festered in the recesses of an untrained mind and blurred the lines between right and wrong. The moment someone started pitying someone else, the truth of the situation became unclear, and any positive traits became shadowed by unfortunate circumstances. Sasuke didn’t do _pity_.

“You probably could. But I don’t want it.”

“I gotta’ pay you back _somehow_.” The brunette drawled, as if it was the simplest concept in the world and Sasuke was just too dull to realize it. He sighed. This kid was unrelenting. It was already draining the last of his flimsy strength.

“If you want to pay me back that bad, then you can help me work and clean up.”

“But-“

“No.”

The kid pouted, but obediently shut his mouth as they reached the heavy double doors of his apartment complex. Opening them and stepping inside instantly resulted in being embraced in the warmth that was the functioning heating system. Upon being swathed in a stronger light, Sasuke realized the kid’s hair was a lighter shade of brown then he originally thought. The brunette gave a long sigh, a shiver wracking up his tiny form. Sasuke suppressed the shiver crawling up his own spine.

Punching in his code, Sasuke led them to the long flight of stairs, only to double back and head for the elevator. He was in no mood to climb the five flights of unforgiving steps, nor did he think the child he was hauling back home wanted to either. It was a quicker process too; stepping in, pressing his floor (the fourth floor, not that it stopped Itachi from being able to _climb_ through his window when he locked the door), step out, and head for his door. The quite presence of the orphan child a constant shadow to his movements.

Upon entering, Sasuke threw his bag on the kitchen counter, watching the kid wipe his sorry-looking sneakers on the mat outside before rubbing his feet on the mat inside. He had good manners at least. Sasuke was taken aback at the fact that in his room’s white light, the boy’s hair appeared even lighter than when they were in the lobby. His skin was marred with dirt and (Sasuke hoped it wasn’t blood) Lord-knows what else. He still let out a breathy chuckle as he surveyed his new surroundings.

Sasuke bit back the surging thoughts surfacing through his control, slipping past the cracks of his mind and splintering small bits of _realization_ into him. He brought a street kid into his apartment. What was he thinking? A. Street. Kid. Some orphan with wretched clothing and probably infested with disease. (That was stereotypical and childish, to think all homeless people were bathed in diseases, but in light of his kind actions towards this unfortunate soul, Sasuke granted himself leeway to such arrogant thoughts). The child checked his feet one more time before padding after Sasuke, who now stood at his kitchen counter with not two slices of bread for one sandwich, but _four_. He was relieved when no visible marks appeared as dirty footprints on the hardwood floor. The kid (he still had to get a _name;_ good _Lord_ , when did Sasuke become so sporadic in his decisions?) stood obediently by his side, rolling on the balls of his feet and wringing his hands together. (Normally he considered the consequences of his actions. What happened to him?)

(A lot)

“Uhm, what c’n I do?” The brunette asked, and Sasuke picked up on how the boy mushed together his n’s. He continued watching in fascination as Sasuke neatly cut the cheese into immaculate slices. He gave his new regret a once over before going back to his task.

“What’s your name?”

“Oh, I’m Naruto Uzumaki!” The child -Naruto- exclaimed loudly, then calmed his eagerness down when Sasuke didn’t comment. “What’s yours?”

“Sasuke.” Then after a pause, “Uchiha.”

Silence enveloped the duo, and Sasuke assumed Naruto was content with his answer, and naively thought he would continue to stand without uttering a single word and make himself sparse. (He constantly forgets that not all children were like him). He knew the few seconds of quiet was too good to be true. Naruto just needed time to formulate another question. Sasuke already felt drained, and it had hardly been an hour.

“So, what c’n I help with, Sasuke-san?”

“Just Sasuke is fine.”

“Okay… so what c’n I do?”

Think. Think. He was top of all his classes with shining scores most could only dream of. Why couldn’t he come up with something to preoccupy a kid while he made his impromptu dinner?

“Go wash your hands over there. Left is for cold; right is for hot.” He finally stated, and nodded to his sink. From his peripheral vision, he watched Naruto scamper over and reach up (on the tips of his toes; Sasuke never realized just how tiny the kid was), and tugged the two nobs on. Deeming Naruto responsible enough to wash his own hands, Sasuke went back to finishing up with the cheese, and only turned from buttering the toast when he felt a tug on his pant.

Naruto proudly presented his clean hands, and Sasuke felt his mind short-circuited.

His hands were clean, yes. But a clear-cut line could be seen running around the middle of his forearm, which separated the new clean skin with the dirt-covered flesh. It was like running a finger through the gathered dust on a car and watching the colour shine through. It was shocking, because Naruto hadn’t initially looked _that_ bad. Sasuke berated himself for not having seen this coming and shook himself out of his stupor. If Naruto was here, Sasuke might as well do he kid another favour. It would tip the scale between his deeds, and Sasuke needed the boost.

He looked back to the half-made sandwiches, then to Naruto’s hands, then thought of how soup didn’t sound too bad.

“Change of plans.” Sasuke started, dropping his supplies and walking into the main space which connected to the bathroom. He didn’t say anything, but he heard Naruto follow silently.

“Go take a shower.”

Naruto’s eyes instantly shone at the prospect of cleaning himself, and Sasuke could tell this next decision was going to be a good one. No self-doubt. He knew what he was doing. At least, he was quite sure he did until Naruto dimmed, shoulders dropping an inch when his excitement fizzled out. Sasuke let the boy mull over his next thoughts, instead opting to grab a spare towel and lower the bottles of shampoo and soap. Naruto was short, and therefore everything had to be put near his height level, lest he wanted an accident to happen.

Sasuke prayed the boy knew how to take showers by himself, because Sasuke was _not_ looking forward to having to wash the strange kid. He barely even knew his name up until ten minutes ago.

“Uhm, I dun’ wanna’ dirty your bathroom.” Naruto finally managed to spit out when Sasuke found his ‘all-in-one' shampoo. It was simpler to just have one option. He got up and stared down at the kid, raising an eyebrow when he guiltily looked away. He can’t be _that_ dirty. His skin was only marred with dirt and grime in a few places, and his hair was fairly even in its shade of light brown.

“That’s what bathrooms are for. Now, do you know how to do it by yourself?” Sasuke asked, gesturing to the tub behind him. Naruto hesitated once more, (apparently, he wasn’t the only one to have inner monologues) before determination set in his bright blue eyes, and he nodded vigorously, topping it off with a clipped ‘yes!’.

Sasuke nodded, less enthusiastically, and left the bathroom, keeping the door open by a crack in case something went wrong.

Now for the soup.

. . .

The sound of the shower stopping was what prompted Sasuke to abandon the simmering soup in favour of finding Naruto something to wear. His clothes had been beyond pitiful, and now that he was (hopefully) clean, he’d probably want to wear something clean as well.

He dug through the dark recesses of his closet, pulling out the smallest box sitting at the very back. Pulling it out was difficult as it was stuck between his dirty clothes and weighed down by years of memories threatening to engulf him. Setting it down on his bed, Sasuke sifted through the articles of clothing, wrinkling his nose when he found, at the very bottom, sweaters with his family crest stitched into the fabric. The deeper he reached, the deeper he dove into flashbacks he long ago suppressed (he liked to think he did, anyway). When the suffocating feeling reached his chest and burned his eyes, Sasuke snatched a blue sweater (he ignored the neatly sown red and white fan. He liked to forget that it was sown by his…

It’s best to continue not to think about it).

Knocking lightly on the door, he watched Naruto peak out from behind the door, Sasuke’s towel swamping Naruto’s tiny frame.

Sasuke blanched.

He was met with blonde hair.

Naruto’s hair was _blonde_.

 _Blonde_.

It took all of Sasuke’s will power and then some not to just close the door and reopen it, believing this to be some magic that changed the kid’s hair. Because there was no way that dirt could hide such… bright, obnoxiously blonde hair.

Naruto’s had done a good job scrubbing himself clean, revealing unmarred, sun-kissed skin with weird lines on either cheek (probably some birthmark, hopefully not some scars) and his _bright blonde hair_. Sasuke stole a glance towards his shower, and grimaced when he saw wet pools of dirt and grime and lord-knows what else sitting at the bottom and gurgling in the drain. That was going to be a pain to clean up later. Guess his own shower would have to wait. This was a good idea. This was a good idea. (please, please be a good idea. Sasuke didn’t know what he’d do if this didn’t happen to be a good idea).

But he kept telling himself that it was going to be worth it. Because good deeds were rewarded. It was for the best. 20 years down the road Sasuke will look at back at the mess that was his thinking process and say, ‘damn, I was such a good soul.’

(Realistically, he’s be dead in 20 years, but who was paying attention to details).

Naruto glanced around the bathroom, grinning when he saw Sasuke eye the crudely drawn, melting smiley face in the fogged-up mirror. Sasuke resisted the urge to rub it away.

The blonde (Sasuke couldn’t believe he was _blonde_ ) continued to look around, a frown dancing on his lips.

“Where’re my clothes?”

“They need to be washed too, so you can wear these instead.” Sasuke explained, surprised he managed to hide his exhaustion from his voice. Itachi would be proud.

Naruto brightened up, taking the clothes and practically yelling ‘thank you’ before dashing back inside and closing the door. The Uchiha sighed, going back to the kitchen to take the soup off the heat and set up not one, but two bowls on his bar table.

Naruto came hobbling in, and Sasuke snorted at the sight. He didn’t take into account how tiny the blonde would be. The shorts he was given him reached down past his knees, resting on his shins, and Sasuke knew that the only reason they were still _on_ was because Naruto was holding them up. The half-sleeved sweater looked like a coat, with the hem reaching his knees and tripping him when he tried to take a step. It was so ridiculous, yet Naruto beamed at him when he saw Sasuke.

Okay… He could work with this.

Sasuke guided Naruto (who wobbled behind him like a penguin) to his bedroom, shuffling through the contents of his drawer before producing a couple of clips and hair ties (courtesy of Itachi leaving his shit whenever he visited).

Turning Naruto around, Sasuke got to the task of bunching up the extra fabric (and there was a lot of extra fabric) and the bottom of the sweater and tying it up into a ball. Then he folded the waistline of the tiniest shorts he owned and pinning it together so it wouldn’t fall off. Turning back, Naruto still looked like a penguin, but at least now he could walk. The blonde bowed by the waist and thanked him for every small favour he’d done so far. A small flicker in the deepest crevices of his soul gave a small, undetectable smile.

. . .

It was when they finished cleaning all the dishes after dinner (Naruto insisted on helping, going on and on about this being his way of paying Sasuke back), that Sasuke realized he had no idea what to do from there. There was still a handful of hours before Sasuke would drift off to bed, and he hadn’t the slightest clue what to do with the blonde currently inspecting his dying potted plant. He hadn’t even come up with a plan as to where he’d let Naruto sleep.

The sofa was always an option, but did Sasuke really want some practically random child to sleep in his living room out of Sasuke’s sight? Of course, Sasuke could always just give the bed to Naruto and sleep on the sofa himself, but fitting himself on the sofa and sleeping in it all night gave him the vague foretelling of future back pains if he did. That problem, of course, was a problem for his future self. Right now, Sasuke needed something to distract the blonde.

“Hey Naruto.” The Uchiha called, and the blonde obediently trotted to him, abandoning his conversation with his dying plotted plant. He forgot how weird kids could be.

“How old are you?”

“M’ seven.”

Okay, seven. That meant he’d be in second or third grade. Sasuke didn’t know squat about either, but he was aware they at least knew how to read simple sentences. Maybe he could pull out some child book on his laptop.

“You want to read something?” Sasuke asked, already sitting down and reaching for his laptop. When he received no reply, he looked up, only to be met with the saddest blue eyes he’s ever seen. He felt like he just stomped all over a sunflower.

“I c’n’t read.”

Sasuke mentally berated himself, and sighed. He had to fix this.

“Do you… want me to read to you?”

That sunflower he crushed? He’s watering it now.

“Yes please!”

Sasuke patted the spot beside him on the sofa when Naruto showed no signs of doing so himself, and opened up his novel while the boy adjusted himself. Did young children enjoy lengthy ninja chronicles? They do now. He chose to continue where he left off, finding Naruto didn’t have any complaints. He read about a young prodigy ninja whose clan was murdered by his older brother. So bent upon revenge, he turned to seek higher powers. And through all the struggle the clan ninja’s best friend, some lone boy with a dangerous power, continued to chase him. Sasuke found the boy to be rather stupid, because wasn’t it obvious the clan ninja had the right intentions set in his mind? He was avenging his family. Of course, his friend didn’t see it like that.

By the time the two ninjas reached a valley with waters that echoed the world's history in its waves, Naruto was snoring quietly beside him.

His head bobbed down, only to jerk back up when it was clear he was going to fall. Sasuke only then realized how much time had passed, and marked his page before turning his attention on the slumbering child. Where should he put him? Sasuke didn’t feel safe putting the child on the sofa where something could happen without his knowledge, but he also didn’t want to sleep on the sofa himself.

Sasuke sighed, gently picking the blonde up and carrying him to his bed. He’d be sleeping on his futon tonight.

Putting Naruto down, Sasuke hoped the boy didn’t have lice. Because he didn’t intend on sleeping on the futon forever, and he really didn’t want to have to deal with that problem. Going to unfurl the futon hiding away in his closet, Sasuke couldn’t shake off the feeling of the boy having hair pests. He wasn’t being sensible, of course, and knew that not every street kid had that issue. He completely ignored the fact that he learned lice prefer clean hair over dirty ones. Still, now Sasuke was worrying about a problem he really _didn’t_ have to worry about. But here he was, worrying about it anyways.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto’s sleeping form and frowned. This kid was going to eat away at several years of his lifetime in the span of three days.

Sasuke sighed heavily, got up, grabbed his keys and coat, _prayed_ that Naruto would stay asleep, and left his apartment.

. . .

Sasuke re-entered the building and continued to regret ever leaving. His fingers were frozen, and his cheeks felt numb, but his bag of supplies triumphantly swung from his wrist as he climbed the stairs; the exercise would hopefully renew his frozen blood circulation.

When he shut his apartment door behind him, (contently noting that Naruto still seemed to be asleep, as his blonde hair peeked out from his room’s slightly ajar door) Sasuke grabbed a kitchen knife and flung it at the window.

“Nice aim.”

Sasuke groaned, ignoring Itachi leaning against the kitchen counter in favour of trudging to the fridge. The older Uchiha merely twirled the knife in his hands before slotting it back in its holder, glancing at the contents in Sasuke’s bag.

“Since when did you drink milk?”

“How did you get in here?”

“Is that… lice spray? Did you share hats with someone?”

“I swear I locked the window.”

“No, you didn’t. I was so sure I’d have to pick it open.”

Sasuke stuffed the milk in his fridge (Itachi was right, he didn’t drink milk. But Naruto looked so tiny for a seven-year-old. He might as well do him a favour while he was here). Silence settled between the two, and when Sasuke’s butter almost bought it from his squeezing, he whirled around to face his brother.

“Why are you here?!” he demanded, practically throwing the deformed butter into the fridge. Better deformed then crushed all over the floor.

“I can’t visit my younger brother?” Itachi feigned hurt, and Sasuke grumbled under his breath, making sure Itachi heard every foul word running out of his mouth before closing the fridge.

“Is the shampoo and spray for the kid?”

Years of emotional training was the only reason why Sasuke didn’t even bat an eye at the comment.

“What kid?”

“The one sleeping on your bed.”

Damn.

“Look, I brought him in so he could wait out the storm for the weekend.” Sasuke begrudgingly explained, stepping out of the kitchen and making his way to his room.

“I never thought you’d grow a heart, little brother. I’m impressed.”

“What are you _doing_ here.”

“I’m on break.” Itachi shrugged, seemingly content with sifting through his kitchen contents. Sasuke ignored him in favour of shaking Naruto awake.

The blonde blearily opened his eyes, and promptly threw the pillow at him.

“Get away!” he shrieked, backing up and falling off the bed. Sasuke snorted, adjusting his weight and crossing his arms. He listened to Naruto’s ragged breathing from across the bed, and then watched a small blonde head poke out from behind the ledge. His blue eyes were wide in fear, and he clutched Sasuke’s second pillow with the clear intent of using it as a weapon. Fortunately, he recognized his situation and dropped the pillow in a rush to stand. He quickly scrambled up and clumsily got to his feet, bowing by the waste and spewing apologies faster then Sasuke could process them. He just rolled his eyes. (he’s been there, he’s done that).

“It’s fine.” He answered the fretting boy, then grabbed the pillow from the floor and smirked. “Your throws are pretty flimsy, I must say.”

The worry vanished from Naruto’s eyes, much to Sasuke’s relief, and he cried out in indignation, but his smile was there and now Sasuke could breathe easy knowing he didn’t have to soothe tears. He was no good in that department.

“I know you already took one, but I want you to take another shower. I bought… special soap for you.” Sasuke informed. Naruto padded behind him as they, once again, made their way to the bathroom. It was when his hand hit the doorknob that he remembered the filthy puddles of dirt smeared all over the tub floor, and he cringed. Opening the door fully prepared with the onslaught of grime and mud, to say Sasuke was surprised when he saw it was as pristine as ever would be an understatement.

Wait, no, he wasn’t surprised.

Fucking _Itachi Uchiha._

When did he even get the time?

If Sasuke knew any better, he would say Itachi watched him leave the apartment.

Sasuke wordlessly handed Naruto the shampoo and spray.

“You need to use the spray first. Make sure it doesn’t get in your eyes. Then use the soap. I also got you some clothes.” He dug through the bag and pulled out a light shirt with a red swirl on it. It was a weird shirt, but something about it screamed at him, so he grabbed it with a shrug. He also grabbed the smallest pants he could find, which now glancing at the blonde, would be a size too big anyways. It was better then what he was wearing now, though.

Naruto held his new articles of clothing as if they were made of glass, eyes shining and suspiciously wet. A wide, wobbly smile broke on his lips, and he hugged the clothes to his chest.

Sasuke left the boy to his devices and hoped he wouldn’t get the spray in his eyes. He didn’t want to deal with tears, no matter the emotion behind them.

To be extra cautious, Sasuke changed the pillow coverings, and then after seeing the mismatched sheets below them, changed those too. You can never be too safe (yes you can). During this process, Sasuke blatantly ignored Itachi’s existence leaning against his door frame.

Unfortunately for him, Itachi had no intention of staying unknown.

“He’s so tiny,” He said, crossing his arms thoughtfully, “how old is he?”

“He told me he was seven.”

“Huh, never would have guessed in those clothes he was wearing.”

“They were the smallest things I had.”

Another lapse of silence enveloped the two as Sasuke dumped the old fabrics into the laundry basket. It was getting pretty full; he’d have to remember to get that task out of the way this weekend.

“He looks so much smaller than a seven-year-old should.” Itachi suddenly said, looking down. “I remember when you were that age. You were quite bigger than him. Taller too.”

Sasuke blushed under the comment, brows furrowing. He shuffled awkwardly on his feet, stuffing his hands on his pockets and taking a sudden interest in his desk. Itachi wasn’t one to be full of sentiment, nor was he one to linger on nostalgic feelings. It was kind of odd. Ever since the fateful night the two became orphans, Itachi hadn’t once reminisced about the past. Not once had he looked back. Not that Sasuke could remember at least.

“Yeah, but he’s also an orphan.” Sasuke pointed out, indulging in his older brother’s strange behaviour.

“So are we.”

Sasuke swallowed thickly, but kept his words to himself, instead opting to smooth over the new sheets. The new atmosphere felt heavy against his chest, choking him from the inside and plunging his mind into fuzzy darkness. He clenched his teeth and bit his tongue, hoping the physical pain to chase away the drowning feeling inside his own lungs. He needed to dissipate this feeling, lest he renders himself useless to the onslaught of thoughts threatening to take him over and drag him under.

“He’s going to sleep on my bed until I think of something else.” He quickly informed, and let out a heavy exhale when the air suddenly felt lighter. Itachi hummed in response, seemingly done with the heavy topics. Yet he stayed silent. Sasuke didn’t know what he wanted, but the silence was deafening.

“Uhm, there’s leftover soup in the fridge, in the red container, if you’re hungry.”

“Okay.”

And that was it. Itachi pushed himself off the door frame and disappeared into the living room, taking with him Sasuke’s need to dig his nails into his palms. He breathed in, shaking his head and gingerly touched his tongue on the roof of his mouth. He didn’t bite hard enough to draw blood, so that was a plus.

Sasuke buried the need to run up to his brother and show him how he wasn’t a little kid anymore. That he wasn’t the grief-ridden child who had hated and resented Itachi’s very being. For leaving him. He was older now. He knew better. All that hatred was but a dwindling memory Sasuke wished would burn away and never resurface. A small sliver of his many regrets.

He smothered the need to show Itachi that was he strong now.

For now, he fixed the last corners of the bedsheet and sat down, suddenly feeling weary after the day’s events. He would sleep tonight and hope all his problems would vanish with his consciousness. (Who was he kidding. He wasn’t going to be able to run away from his life. He tried before, and it didn’t work. He would wake up tomorrow and face the day like every other day, except this time he had a small blonde kid to look after for the next few days).

“ _Sasuke!_ There’s someone in yu’r kitchen!” As if summoned by his thoughts, Naruto’s yelling pierced the silence like an arrow. Sasuke dragged a hand through his hair as he listened to Naruto’s shrieking, and hammered down his patience. He pulled himself up and walked into the kitchen to see Naruto pointing an accusing finger at Itachi, who was frozen between putting his food in the microwave and pressing the buttons. The sight would have been funny had Sasuke not been so damn tired. Instead, he lazily waved his hand between the two.

“Naruto, this is my older brother, Itachi. Itachi, this is Naruto.”

The older Uchiha closed the microwave door and started it up before bending down to Naruto’s eye level. Naruto shuffled a few steps back, still wary of the stranger who looked so much like Sasuke it was uncanny.

Itachi smiled softly. Sasuke refused to let his mind plunge itself back into its forsaken memories.

“I’m Itachi Uchiha. Your name is Naruto, right?

The blonde glanced at Sasuke, who begrudgingly nodded, before uttering a wobbly ‘yes’.

Itachi rummaged through his pocket, Naruto perking in curiosity despite his previous uncertainty (little kids can lose fear so quickly), and watched as the Uchiha pulled out a small chocolate from within his sweatpants pocket’s confines. His eyes widened as Itachi offered the sweet treat in his open palm, nodding to the boy.

“Consider this my truce token.”

Naruto padded forward when it was clear Itachi wasn’t joking, gingerly taking the treat and staring at it in astonishment and awe. Then he beamed, eyes crinkling and his smile stretching impossibly wide on his face.

“Thank you Itachi-san!” he squealed, bowing by the waste in a hasty attempt at respect, though his body shook with excitement.

“Just Itachi is fine.” He gave Naruto another small smile, gently ruffling the blonde’s wet hair before answering the beeping microwave. Naruto looked back at his candy once more before trotting up to Sasuke, a bounce on his step. Sasuke could only wish he had that sort of energy.

“Sasuke, _look!_ You’re brothers’ so nice!”

“You’re so easily swayed.” Sasuke muttered, but Naruto ignored him in favour of clutching the small treat in his hands, a look of complete awe all over his face. Even his yawn couldn’t snatch away his smile.

“Since you’re all cleaned up, let’s get you in bed.”

. . .

“He’s a well-mannered kid. Surprising for someone in his circumstance.”

“Since when did you carry chocolate in your pockets?”

“They were giving out free samples at the store, so I took one.”

“ _Right_. How _convenient_.”

Itachi smiled innocently at him (it kept throwing Sasuke off, the smiling) before going back to his book.

“What are you planning on doing with his once the weekends over?”

That… was a good question. Should he just… leave him back outside after his time was up? He could report the Naruto as a ‘missing child’ to the police, but Naruto had said he lived alone, and Sasuke had no evidence to refute the fact. If he handed the blonde over to the police, they would just dump him in Konoha’s orphanage. And Konoha’s orphanage was the closest thing to Hell Sasuke could think of. Their supervisors either weren’t paid enough or just didn’t give a damn, but they were terrible. The whole establishment was under-payed and didn’t even scratch the line when it came to facilitating the children there in a healthy environment. Sasuke remembered countless nights curled up in a ball, trying not to freeze to death when the heating system wouldn’t work (which was most of the time). Or how there was barely enough food for half the kids there. He remembered the people who blatantly chose favourites within the building; those who were polite, smart and strong and would most likely get adopted were prepped and well-kept while those whose future’s looked dim stayed just that; dim. (Sasuke hated that place. He was one of the lucky ones; he was smart. He excelled in his academics, and therefore would be guaranteed dinner every day. He still hated the place, and he was one of the few who were lucky enough to _leave_ ).

Sasuke pushed the thought out of his mind. He would figure out what to do in time. (He kept telling himself to just give the damn kid to the orphanage, but memories of cold nights and hard beds kept that suggestion off the table. He wasn’t a monster).

So Sasuke simply shrugged, waving off the problem for later.

“I don’t know, but I’ll think if something.”

“Well, I’m heading to bed, so I’ll see you tomorrow.” Itachi stated after humming in thought, gently closing his book and folding his glasses. After Sasuke replied with a small ‘okay’, Itachi gave him a small smile before flicking the lamp light off and shrouding the room in soft darkness, the street lamp outside offering a single beam of light past his window’s blinds.

Sasuke shook off the feeling Itachi’s smile gave him, and walked into his own room. Itachi had needed his futon, so Sasuke simply plopped down on the opposite side of the bed. His once empty apartment looking a lot fuller.

. . .

Naruto woke up to the softest blanket he’d ever felt. With a foggy mind, the boy vaguely wondered if he died and landed in heaven. His little, ratty pile of blankets wasn’t nearly as soft as these, and he sighed happily as he buried his face into the plush pillow below him.

He opened his eyes, and his memories came rushing back to him. He let out a small gasp, fingers tightening around the blanket.

Sasuke. Sasuke rescued him from another miserable storm that would have left Naruto on the brink of death. But Naruto would have gotten over it. His body never allowed him to stay hurt. He would count the number of times he bled on a single hand. His skin was thick, and his bones were solid. People could throw him and beat him, but he would stand back up. It would hurt, but his body refused to stay down. He would’ve survived the harsh pre-winter storm, but he would be miserable and cold and many other unpleasant feelings. Sasuke saved him from having to endure that.

He looked up and saw black hair sticking out in odd directions. It was kind of funny, how Sasuke’s hair stuck out in the back. But Naruto thought it suited him. He felt a smile tug at his lips without his permission, and he breathed in the warm air of the apartment. Sighing contently, he let his fingers wriggle around the soft sheets just for the feeling.

A handful of minutes later, and Naruto’s legs itched to move. His back felt stiff, and he wanted to stretch out his limbs. But Sasuke seemed to be asleep. Naruto couldn’t actually see his face, but he was still lying down, so Naruto assumed he was sleeping. Waking him up would be rude, especially since Sasuke helped him and was really nice to him. It was the least Naruto could do.

So, with that in mind, the blonde inched his body to the edge of the bed, gently swinging his legs off the sides and landing on the cool wooden floorboards with an inaudible ‘ _thump_ ’. He turned back, grinning to himself when he saw Sasuke’s unmoving form. He padded to the door, peaking past the small gap between it and squeezing his body through. He gave himself a pat on the cheek as a job well done.

“Good morning Naruto.”

He jumped in surprise, whirling around to face the owner of the voice.

Itachi was sitting on a futon, blanket pooled around his waist as he read his book. Well, he _had_ been reading his book up until Naruto showed up. Now he gently placed it down and beckoned Naruto over. The blonde nervously shuffled forward, as to not appear rude and completely ignore the man’s request. He awkwardly sat down on the futon, adjusting to the weird lump that was under him.

“Did you sleep well?” Itachi asked, and Naruto nodded. Then thought over his response and answered with a ‘yeah, it was really warm’. Itachi nodded as well, and Naruto thought hard as to what to say. Should he ask if Itachi had a good night as well? Would that be the polite thing to do? Was it rude to just sit here? Something about the way Itachi’s eyes looked at him, dark and unreadable, made Naruto feel like he was being picked apart. He squirmed, settling his hands in his lap and wringing the cloth of his pants. (He giddily remembered that Sasuke bought him two pairs of clothes, and gave his tummy a warm feeling).

“You don’t have to be nervous.” Itachi suddenly started in his cool, calm voice that was so unlike Sasuke’s that it made Naruto confused. Because the brothers looked almost exactly the same, yet Itachi was much… smoother than Sasuke. Sasuke reminded Naruto of a rough stone. He couldn’t quite explain it, but Sasuke was so full of edges and rough corners; Itachi’s personality felt so smooth and unblemished.

Naruto has only really known them for a day, Itachi even less, but he could just _tell_.

So, Naruto smiled at the man and adjusted his position so he was more comfortable on the lump he was sitting on. The futon wasn’t as soft or warm as the bed, but it was still a long shot compared to his own collection. He was already dreading going back.

He kicked those thoughts out, because Itachi was looking expectantly at Naruto, and those thoughts wouldn’t bode well if they lingered for too long.

“I’m not nervous!” He defended, puffing out his chest, then deflating when Itachi chuckled softly. He felt his own grin stretching on his lips. He liked when people laughed. Especially when they were laughing _with_ him and not _at_ him. And Itachi was super nice too. He gave Naruto chocolate, as a truce token (whatever that meant).

“You remind me of Sasuke, when he was your age.” To this Naruto perked up.

“Whaddya’ mean?”

“Well for one, he always wanted to prove that he wasn’t weak. If someone ever pointed anything out, he’d just puff out his chest like you, and start saying the exact opposite.”

Naruto snickered at the image of mini-Sasuke angrily rejecting the fact that someone called him nervous, like a threatening kitten. Naruto thought they were really cute when they puffed their fur out and started mewling. He saw one at the pet store, and he remembers how it looked like a fluff ball with legs. Itachi kept going.

“He also insisted on helping out. He would always bombard our mother with requests to do something. She would trick him into eating his veggies, saying that it would help her.”

“Where’s your mom now?” Naruto asked, eyes shining. He never had a mother figure before. The women that raised him in the orphanage were mean and scary, and the older girls who lived there would tease him about being small and unwanted. ‘You’re never going to get adopted’ they’d laugh, and Naruto would laugh back and say the exact same thing to them. He always wished he had a mom. He saw countless kids get adopted around him, into the arms of parents whose smiles made Naruto smile, even if he wasn’t on the receiving ends of their affection. He remembered this one boy who followed a beautiful woman out of the building. The woman had another child already, and had held it close to her chest and she led the boy into her life. Naruto longed to be held in the warm embrace of a mother. Maybe if he met Sasuke’s mom, he would be able to see what a mother was really like. She seemed nice.

Itachi’s eyes remained the same, yet Naruto could see the small smile on his face saddened. To his horror, Naruto realized he had probably said the wrong thing.

“Our parents passed away when Sasuke was little.”

Naruto’s mouth formed a small ‘o’, and he cast his eyes down. He felt bad. He never knew his parents, yet he missed them dearly. He couldn’t imagine what it felt like to have people like that, and _then_ lose them.

“I’m… sorry.” Naruto muttered, feeling terrible for having Itachi mention such a thing. The older man turned to him and gave him a soft pat on the head (Naruto wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he loved head pats. He gave himself head pats all the time, if only to enjoy the feeling. Having someone else do it made Naruto feel all mushy and warm inside. He liked it).

“You have nothing to apologize for. You had nothing to do with it.”

He nodded, but pouted anyways. He still felt bad, and he had to fix it.

An idea popped in his head, and he hastily excused himself before quietly scampering off into the bedroom. He made sure to tiptoe all the way to the desk, where Sasuke had put his chocolate, assuring him it would be safe. Snagging the treat, Naruto retreated back into the living room, and grin on his face at his second successful sneak-away.

Fiddling with the wrapper, Naruto sheepishly gave it to Itachi, who easily opened it and handed it back to Naruto. The blonde then proceeded to measure out the small bar with his eyes and gingerly broke it in half. It was a truce token (Naruto didn’t know what that was, but he knew a truce was a peace between two people), so Naruto offered the other half to Itachi.

He blinked at the candy in the palm of Naruto’s hand.

“I gave it to you, enjoy it.” He pointed out with a small smile. Naruto decided he liked his smile. It was a lot softer than Sasuke’s smile.

“You enjoy more when you share.” Naruto wisely quoted the restaurant slogan downtown.

Itachi chuckled (did he know the slogan too? It was a pretty smart one) and took the piece, raising it up after a moment.

“Cheers?” He offered, and Naruto felt his grin widen. He tapped his piece with Itachi’s and happily munched on the chocolate.

The taste instantly coated his mouth, and made it water. He lapped the crunchy treat with his tongue before biting into it. He felt a bit remorseful when he swallowed it, but grinned, spirits high. The warmth in his chest expanded and settled in his limbs. He liked this warmth a lot.

“Naruto,” Itachi suddenly started, tone a lot more serious than before. The blonde perked up, noticing the change in demeanour and focusing his attention. Itachi seemed to want to say something important.

“You’re a good kid.” Was all Itachi offered after the pause. Naruto nodded, confused because he had no idea what that meant, but nodding was always a plus. Naruto liked to think he knew his manners well, and tried to practice them to show people he wasn’t some rude kid. People would never believe him, but acting polite did always score him small smiles and, if people were extra generous, a few coins. But to say he was a good kid? What did that even mean? Was Itachi referencing to his manners? Did he like his manners a lot? Naruto felt happy knowing his manners were well-kept and appreciated, but did that really make him a good kid?

All this thinking made Naruto’s head spin, so he simply nodded. He would dwell on it later. Nodding was always an easy way out of having to think. It seemed to be the right course of action too, because the Uchiha’s eyes softened again and he ruffled Naruto’s hair, making his giggle. (He _really_ like head pats).

When Naruto adjusted on the lump, he also had to recognize the growing stiffness in his neck from having to look up at the man. Itachi was… really tall.

Like, by a whole lot.

Even while sitting on the lump in the blanket, Naruto was a whole lot shorter than the man, having to look up the way he did. He was probably taller than Sasuke! He had failed to notice just how much bigger he was, because he had been too caught up in fantasizing what his new chocolate would taste like (he wasn’t disappointed. The chocolate went beyond any of his expectations). Sasuke’s dinner had also been delicious. The soup had tasted so yummy and was full of flavours Naruto had previously only dreamt about. His sandwiches had been soft and chewy too, and Naruto put that meal as his number one. It had far surpassed the instant ramen the orphanage stocked up on.

To think something could surpass ramen. Naruto had always heard how home-cooked meals were the best meals, and he was pleasantly surprised by the realization that they, in fact, _were_. And Sasuke knew how to cook well.

As if aroused by his thoughts, the younger Uchiha sauntered into the living room, bangs tousled with sleep. He let out a breath when he saw Itachi and Naruto comfortably lounging on the futon, a playful smile on the blonde’s face.

“G’ morning Sasuke!” Naruto waved, earning a small smile from Itachi. The combination of the two made Sasuke’s ears flush red.

“Uh, yeah, good morning to you too. Did you guys eat breakfast yet?”

“We had chocolate!”

Sasuke turned to pointedly glare at his older brother (who thought it was a good idea to feed little kids sugar first thing in the morning). He simply gave Sasuke an innocent look, nonchalantly shrugging as if to say ‘I had nothing to do with it’. If Naruto became over-hyper, he was dumping the kid on Itachi without hesitation.

“Okay, well. I’ll make omelettes.”

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, and Itachi got up from where he was seated, causing Naruto to fall over with an undignified squawk. Ah, so the lump had been the man’s leg.

“I’ll help.”

“You can’t even make your _own_ omelettes.” Sasuke pointed out.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t make other things.”

“You’re not _touching_ the stove, or the oven.” Then after a second thought he added “Or the microwave.”

“Fair.” Itachi replied, helping the blonde up with more gentle care than Sasuke was used to. His movements were so soft with the boy, his gaze so tender. The way the boy high-fived his older brother, and the way Itachi softly touched Naruto’s smaller hand with his own much larger one, smiling when Naruto giggled. Sasuke blinked when he realized that heavy sensation was back, but it was duller than before. Like a warm hand constantly pressed against his chest.

Sasuke could count the amount of times Itachi was this gentle on one hand ever since… _that_ happened. Even after Itachi claimed legal guardianship of Sasuke, he had changed from the once loving older brother Sasuke knew. He was still loving, but he was different. He was detached. He wasn’t… cold per say. But he lacked his usual warmth. Warmth that Sasuke craved for years after his parent’s death. He longed, _yearned_ for some sense of warmth, but even though Itachi tried to fill in the gap their parents left, he was never able to make Sasuke feel warm (probably because he was trying to get warm himself).

Now here he was, eyes soft and mirthful, and Sasuke was drowning in memories. Of how Itachi would sleep with him when he had a nightmare. How he would play hide and seek in the forest in their backyard. How he would help him with his homework. Even when he butchered trying to make something for Sasuke to eat, it always made him feel warm.

Naruto was seven and was an orphan. Sasuke was seven when he was orphaned. The similarity was uncanny, but maybe it was that similarity that gave Itachi the spark he once lost. Was he drowning in memories too? Kids were so energetic and innocent; oblivious to life’s troubles and even when life gave them trouble, they plowed through. They found fun in the worst situations. Its why children are known as the future; because they can endure so much more than anyone else, and still find light at the end of the tunnel.

Naruto seemed like a good kid. He was cheerful, well-mannered, and wasn’t as depressed as Sasuke thought he would be. He had a lot to say, and not enough words to say them.

(How could Itachi ignore something that reminded him so much of the younger brother he lost alongside his parents?)

Sasuke shook his head, running a hand through his hair and further tousling his bangs. He needed to get his head out of the depressive hole he keeps digging for himself. If Itachi found his warmth in Naruto, then that was fine. (He would never admit that’s seeing Itachi so light, smiling and happy, made Sasuke slightly warmer too. He would continue to deny it until his grave, and then clutch the truth in his cold dead hands).

“Oh wow, you’re so big Itachi! Taller than Sasuke!” Naruto exclaimed, turning his head between the two brothers, and effectively pulling Sasuke out of his thoughts (he was grateful).

“I’ve always been the taller one. I’m Sasuke’s older brother, after all.” Itachi pointed out, ignoring Sasuke’s scoff.

“Can you touch the roof? You _totally_ can!”

“I think you’re giving me too much credit.”

“Try it. _Please!_ ” Naruto clutched Itachi’s sweatpants, a pleading look in Naruto’s blue eyes. Sasuke rolled his eyes at how weak his brother was when Itachi relented to the blonde’s stare and gently pried his fingers off.

“Okay, but there’s no guarantee that I’ll be able to.”

Naruto ignored the statement and bounced in excitement. Sasuke scoffed again, this time as Itachi’s modesty. He could very well touch a height twice as long as this one. He didn’t take numerous martial arts for nothing. He watched his older brothers bunch his legs in a lazy squat before springing up, easily touching his palm to the ceiling. Naruto squealed, as easily swayed as ever, and began talking a mile a minute about how ‘cool and awesome that was’ and ‘you’re like a ninja’. Of course, Itachi Uchiha, being the modest role-model he was, simply waved off the compliments with a smile.

The sight was of the two was so domestic, so _normal_ , that it had Sasuke fighting back memories once again. It was like Naruto wasn’t some orphan he picked up yesterday, and Itachi wasn’t the survivor of a brutal massacre. They were just… them. Naruto being a bright kid with a habit of mixing his n’s and r’s, and Itachi treating the blonde like he was another little brother.

Sasuke almost didn’t want it to end, enjoying the weird warm weight in his chest at the sight of the two. But this was reality, and that didn’t happen. Itachi looked up and gestured to the kitchen with his head.

“Let’s get started on that breakfast plan.”

So, Sasuke did just that. He nodded in reply, sighed heavily, and listened to the sounds of Naruto’s feet padding excitedly on the wooden floorboards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhhhh  
> i just want to let you all know that my editing skills are so lame and there are probably countless mistakes in grammar and spelling, but please take it with a grain of salt and maybe an advil to soothe your pains once you've finished reading (because i suck).


	2. When psychopaths have hearts (and hold back on their alchohol)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto gets to meet Itachi's friends. Sasuke is less than pleased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I watch Naruto and Naruto Shippuden in dub (don't @ me), so I'm going to type out Deidara's little nasal sounds with a 'hm'.  
> Uhm uhm yeah Sasuke is just a big baby who's confused and just wants to stop being bullied.

Staying true to his word, Itachi didn’t touch any of the applications Sasuke had mentioned before, saving his apartment from the onslaught of flames. He felt bad for anyone who had to suffer Itachi’s cooking. (he loved Itachi’s cooking, no matter how charred the eggs ended up being).

Sasuke flipped the omelette, enjoying the sizzling sound as it cooked. Itachi was on the other end of the kitchen cutting up some special salad that he discovered on the internet. He had doubted it at first, because Itachi could butcher _anything_ , but after the tell-tale promise of tomatoes, Sasuke was eventually won over.

Itachi also offered to set the table, and as he did so earned whining from the blonde brat sitting there.

“Are you sure I can’t help? I c’n totally help.” Naruto boasted, jutting his thumb to his chest.

“No, we need you to save your strength, in case something happens later. You’ll be our only hope.” Itachi explained seriously, and Naruto nodded, looking down at his little hands in awe. The sight was so… stupidly sweet and Sasuke made a face because he could not, for the love of the lord, let his mind plunge back into a time where his mother would tell him the exact same thing. He would forget how her soft hand would caress his cheek and tell him that eating his veggies for her would make her stronger.

(He fell for it every. Single. Time.)

Naruto’s feet continuing swinging back and forth (he was really short) as Itachi ruffled his hair. Sasuke’s body fought between gagging at the sight and urging the scene to continue. When the older man reentered the kitchen to grab the juice, Sasuke’s burning question no longer had reins in his control.

“Why do you like him so much?”

“Hm?” He answered off-handedly, because he was Itachi Uchiha, and Itachi Uchiha didn’t give straight answers. And Sasuke hated repeating himself (because it made him feel stupid) but he _needed_ to know why. Why Itachi’s smile, which for the longest time had been lost, now managed to resurface and shine through. How in the numerous years of living together Itachi barely laughed, let alone told him those small things that made him feel giddy. He wanted to know. Because to be honest he didn’t want to lose this Itachi again.

He flipped the omelette and stamped down his pride.

“Naruto. Why do you like him so much?”

“Sasuke, I like children.” Itachi replied, giving him a flat look as if the fact was obvious. It, in fact, was not.

“Since when?”

“Since you decided to grow up, little brother.”

Sasuke blinked, brows drawing together. He wanted to open his mouth and tell his stupid older sibling that all kids grew up, and that he was no exception. He couldn’t stay young and naïve forever. He had a life to live. He wanted to retaliate at the soft accusation, and tell him that he grew up so that Itachi could lead his life without worrying about him. How could he keep acting like a kid when the older Uchiha had dreams to fulfill and a future to uphold. Itachi accusing Sasuke of growing up was like telling a tree not to get taller. It was stupid.

But the look in his brother’s eye shut him up immediately. Itachi had always appeared much more mature than his age let on, but right then and there? He looked like an ancient soul. His features never changed; he was still pale-skinned, sharped nose, and had a jawline women everywhere fawned over. But his eyes. His sharp eyes seemed so dull and… sad, like he’d seen the world and wanted to forget (just like how Sasuke always wants to forget.)

So, instead he clamped his mouth shut and murmured a ‘get me a plate, would you?’ and glared at the sizzling eggs.

. . .

Sasuke found, for the umpteenth time, that Naruto had a lot to say. It surprised him because he had no idea such a tiny body could hold so much at a time. His mouth ran faster than Sasuke’s brain, as if he had been storing all these stories until some unfortunate soul decided to stop and let him talk. Sasuke was unfortunately that unfortunate soul. The blonde talked about everything under the sun and then some; about the little cats that would sometimes curl under his shelter when it rained, how awesome Sasuke was, his rock collection, how nice Itachi was, the ‘super nice lady at the coffee shop that let me stay there and even gave me a biscuit!’, how good Sasuke’s cooking was, and countless other things that Sasuke either didn’t process or just didn’t care enough to listen.

Normally his breakfast consisted of cereal and silence, but now it was lively and filled with chatter, surprisingly good salad, and his crispy omelettes that Naruto thought were ‘so awesome’. He had also snuck in a glass of milk beside the blonde’s plate, ignoring the look Itachi gave him. He was doing the kid a favour (he was so tiny).

Itachi also seemed to be entertained by the child’s stories, chuckling and urging his to continue. Sasuke rolled his eyes, but couldn’t hide his smirk even if he tried.

Dishes were soon cleaned (Naruto insisted on helping out, so Sasuke made him dry the dishes), and Naruto happily finished the last of his milk, profoundly thanking them for the meal.

“Oh, Sasuke, do you need your car this evening?” Itachi asked once he had put away that last plate (his dishwasher was beyond hopeless, so he opted to just handwash all his dishes), pulling out his phone and tapping at it. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but answered non-the-less.

“No, because my license is still suspended, thanks to _someone._ ” Sasuke glared, and Itachi feigned innocence before pocketing his phone and rummaging through his bag.

“Good,” The nerve he had- “Kisame is holding a party this evening. I think his cousin will be there?” Itachi’s offer was indirect, but still there, and Sasuke wrinkled his nose.

“Are your weird friends going to be there?”

“Sasuke, their gifted, not weird.”

That meant a yes.

“What am I supposed to do with him?” He gestured to the blonde contently chatting away with the plotted plant again.

Itachi turned to look at Naruto before shrugging and grabbing his clothes.

“Bring him along.”

Sasuke scoffed. “Your friends are a bunch of weirdos. I don’t want to be responsible for the death of a kid.”

“Suit yourself. I’ll be back around midnight.”

“Where are you going right now?”

“Maybe to the park?” Itachi answered before stepping into the bathroom and closing the door. Leaving Sasuke feeling like the stupid little brat he was in grade school. Being dismissed. It was childish to fall for such small antics, but it grated at his nerves and tickled his pride _every damn time._

He could always stay in the apartment and do nothing, but Sasuke had no idea how well Naruto would fair with that plan. He had already displayed his boundless energy, and maybe the park wasn’t such a bad idea? It was going to be cold though, and Naruto didn’t possess anything other than the beat-up sweater he came with.

Good _lord,_ Sasuke was doing this kid a lot of favours. He kept telling himself that when he was older, all these favours would come back to him in the form of a swift death and maybe discounted tomatoes for life, but it was really a wonder how he was still going. There was only so much mental cheering-up he could do before it became hopeless.

Maybe, a long way down the line, when Naruto was all grown up, he’d let Sasuke stay at _his_ house and cook all his meals until he wilted away. That would be nice.

For now, though, Sasuke needed a plan other than ‘they’d stay in the apartment for the rest of the day’.

Sasuke turned to his bedroom, trusting Naruto not to die on his sofa while he sifted through his closet. He could always go through the box of forsaken memories and pull out an old sweater or jacket, but he had the feeling that his mind wouldn’t be able to fight against the onslaught of emotions that came with the clothes. So, with the decision-making skills of a proper adult, he decided to leave the box to Itachi. He seemed to be happy drowning in the past.

He knew shuffling through his own sizes would be pointless; Naruto’s head brushed against his stomach if he was being generous, and all his clothes would look like blankets against the boy’s tiny frame. He still sorted through them anyways, absent-mindedly pulling out a top and pants because Itachi ended up working his way into his brain and now he was going to go to that party whether Itachi liked it or not. (He also knew that realistically; he couldn’t stay in his small apartment for a whole day and expect Naruto to be a good little boy and sit in a corner to contemplate life.) He frowned when he realized that these were _Itachi’s friends_ though _._ They were all just a bunch of psychopaths sitting together painting each other’s nails and fighting over who _actually_ won in poker.

(He remembers that night too well. It was one of the Akatsuki’s hangouts, and the game had been pulled out. People yelled and alcohol was spilled and he was pretty sure a knife was drawn at some point. They all complained about how Sasori’s poker face was legendary and unfair because he didn’t have emotions to begin with and how Sasuke only won because he used the mirror behind Kakuzu to cheat. He would deny that fact until the end of his days, but it was a good strategy on his part.)

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Itachi got out of the shower dressed in a simple black shirt and pants, hair tied low and dry enough that it didn’t drip all over the floor. Sasuke wordlessly shoved the box into his chest and muttered something along the lines of ‘Naruto needs something warm’ before trudging over to said blonde. He ignored the look the older Uchiha gave him (again).

“Naruto.” He called, effectively gaining his attention. He hopped off the sofa after saying his goodbyes to his plant, and followed Sasuke back into his room. Once he was settled, he started talking again.

“We’re going to Itachi’s friend’s house this afternoon.” He explained, watching the blonde nod. He was starting to get the idea that Naruto just nodded to anything, and didn’t actually understand half of what he was saying. Oh well, it would have to do for now. “They’re all kind of crazy, but I’m sure you’ll be fine. Just stick with me.” Another nod. He saw Itachi leave the room (it wasn’t fair how unfazed he looked after going through that dreaded box of memories) with clothes hanging off his arm. Sasuke refused to look at them and focused back on Naruto (he knew he was being stupid. He would have to look at them eventually, but running away from his problems was always his strong suit, and he was a man that always played by his winning cards.

He was such a coward, and he was too afraid to admit it.)

“Since we’re leaving a bit early, we’ll be heading to a park near here, and since it’s freezing outside, I need you to try a couple of sweaters to see which fit.” After the pause, Naruto seemed to understand that he needed to nod again, and Sasuke sighed. Itachi set down the clothes and gave his shoulder a pat, before retreating into the living room. So, he had seen through his façade (his façade was pathetic). At least Sasuke could get over this process quickly so he could spare his future self the pain. Reaching forward, he snagged the plush sweater at the top of the pile and held it out to the blonde, who took it and slipped it on without protest and a lot of struggle.

Despite the sweater being painfully familiar (it had been his favourite to wear during winter) he snorted when Naruto finally tugged his head through the top. It wasn’t as bad as the shirt from yesterday, but it still made Naruto look like a round penguin with stick legs (it was an accurate description too, as the sweater was black with a white zipper. He ignored the fan stitched on the back). He looked even smaller than normal, being swamped in the sweater that was two sizes too big, but it seemed to work fine for Naruto because he just buried his nose in the high neck and grinned. Sasuke decided that even though the sweater’s hem rested against his thighs and almost brushed his knees, it would keep the blonde warm (he would know, after all).

“It’so’ soft!” Naruto laughed, and raised his arms, the black sleeves falling limply past his fingers. Sasuke stifled a laugh at the sight as Naruto struggled to get his fingers free from the too-long sleeves. Okay, he could work with this.

He took Naruto’s arm and began folding the extra length in on itself, rolling it up until the blonde’s hand peaked through before going and folding the other one. Naruto giddily wiggled his fingers, and when Sasuke finally freed his other hand, he clapped them.

Okay, sweater down. Now for the jacket.

That was the easy part. The sweater was already thick enough; Sasuke was pretty sure it could count as a jacket altogether. But it was really cold outside, and Sasuke had a feeling he’d need more than a single layer. Plus, he didn’t want to take any chances. With a deep breath, he tore his eyes away from Naruto (who was dancing around and patting the sweater down like an idiot) and onto the small handful of winter clothes waiting on his bed.

Itachi had been kind. The crest on the clothes were at the back for most of them, so all he had to do was look at the top and ignore the urge to run his hand over the red and white fan (he wanted to _so_ bad, and he hated himself for it.) He pulled out one of the shorter jackets, calling Naruto over and helping him fit through the sleeves (he was such a pain, but Sasuke couldn’t blame him. The sweater was… really big. And so what if he laughed at Naruto’s flailing when his arm got stuck. It was funny.

Naruto was doing him some favours too.)

When all was said and done, Naruto was clad in two warm layers, looking more or less okay and still able to walk (even if that meant hobbling around), and was ready to face the onslaught of wind outside.

Sasuke prided himself in a job well done.

“Sasuke.” Naruto let out a long whine, and he sighed. “M’ too hot.”

He kept forgetting that Naruto was still a child, and children were brats. He couldn’t believe he let himself think otherwise.

“We’ll be heading out soon, and then you won’t be complaining about the heat.”

“But m’ sweating!”

“Just wait for a few minutes.”

Those next few minutes consisted of constant whining and complaining and Naruto drawling on and on about he was going to overheat and how ‘I don’ need all these clothes’. However, despite his complaining, Naruto stayed seated on the sofa with dangling feet and (not so patiently) waited for Sasuke to get dressed and brush his hair.

“Hey, why do you brush yer’ hair up like that?” Naruto asked suddenly, pointing his finger at him when he straightened out his bangs, and Sasuke glared when Itachi chuckled, his own clean and _manageable_ hair tied in his usual low ponytail. What a bully.

“I brush it _down_ Naruto.”

“No way! It sticks up like this!” And he shot his arms up above his head.

“Like a duck’s butt?” Itachi offered, unfazed by Sasuke’s glare.

“Yeah! Sasuke’s like a duck!” He laughed, pointing a finger at the stubborn strands sticking up on the back of his head. No matter what he tried, they always stuck up. No amount of gel, water, or brushing could tame it. He actually considered growing it out like Itachi, but after an attempt two years ago, he immediately cut it again. He looked so old and nasty with his hair grown out. He didn’t know how Itachi managed the look.

“Well at least my hair doesn’t look like a porcupine like _yours_.” He shot back, and yeah, was it immature to argue with a seven-year-old? Yes. Was his pride and dignity on the line? Also a yes. So, did this commend his actions? That… was debatable.

“It does not!” Naruto squawked in indignation, flapping his arms around. Half his talking was done through his arms. It was comical.

“I tried brushing it, but it just sticks right back up.” Sasuke pointed out. And he had tried. He had assumed Naruto’s hair was like that because he just didn’t brush it often, so when he tried to flatten it, he was expecting it to stay that way. However, his predictions were for naught, as it just stuck back up. Just as stubborn as his own.

“Well at least I’m not a _duck._ ” Naruto argued, crossing his arms and sticking out his tongue. And it was the dumbest argument he’s ever heard, and the most childish snide he’d ever seen, and yet he fell for it as if he was still a seven-year-old all over again.

“I’m not a duck!” Sasuke growled, shoving Itachi when he chuckled again, his own hair forgotten as he tried to contain his soft laughter. That prick. Taking the side of that blonde brat. Naruto was laughing again, chanting about Sasuke’s hair in the stupidest way possible, yet it managed to grate his nerves and irk him to no end. He finished with his hair before stomping over to the blonde, who shrieked about the oncoming threat and tried to jump off the sofa.

“Sasuke’s a duck. Sasuke’s a duck. Sasuke’s a duck!” He sang, and attempted to dodge Sasuke’s arms.

“Oh no you don’t you little-“

Sasuke grabbed him and held him down, aggressively ruffling his hair and earning shouts of protest from Naruto, who wreathed in his hold to no avail. Sasuke smirked when he finally let him go, watching Naruto hop back onto the sofa and once again stick out his tongue. Sasuke crossed his arms and mirrored his actions.

Itachi smothered his laugh in his hand.

. . .

“Freedom!” Naruto yelled, shooting past Sasuke and running to the park on eager little legs. Sasuke just sighed, rubbing his forehead and cursing Naruto’s boundless energy. Itachi wordlessly got out of the car, _Sasuke’s keys_ dangling from his fingers. The world was out to get him in every way possible.

Sasuke followed the blonde and shut the door behind him, walking up to the play structure with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Naruto immediately climbed the main platform and up onto the large web that stretched across the whole area. He wriggled in between the ropes and climbed up and up. It was only when Sasuke realized he was craning his neck that it dawned on him just how high Naruto was, and that a fall from that height would be detrimental.

“Naruto! Get down you idiot, you’re going to hurt yourself.” Sasuke called, growling when the blond merely yelled and called him a ‘scaredy-cat!’.

“I swear,” he grumbled, watching (he was _not_ worried. He just didn’t want the death of a kid on his hands) as Naruto hung himself upside by his legs and laughed like the show-off he was becoming. Back in the apartment, he had boasted on how he could do a somersault. (He had completely won Itachi over, who clapped and congratulated the blonde for his achievement as if he won a gold medal in the Olympics. He probably did in the older Uchiha’s heart.)

Itachi warned the blonde to be cautious, and Naruto just flipped himself back up and took a step forward.

That laugh turned into a scream, and Sasuke was pretty sure his heart did a back-flip and died. Naruto’s foot slipped from the rope he was stepping on, and he fell through the hole in between the interlocking loops. Sasuke took a step forward, body going cold as Naruto yelped, hands grabbing for anything to hold. He vaguely heard Itachi inhale sharply, and felt his blood stop running altogether.

And then Naruto’s hands clamped onto a thick rope line, and his body jerked to a stop, legs flailing until they hit the line below him, and Sasuke breathed. Naruto’s shaking could be seen from the ground, but he had the _audacity_ to laugh and wave down at the two Uchiha’s.

Sasuke could commend Itachi’s thinking when he began climbing the structure himself, long legs easily carrying him up as he made his way to Naruto, who was back to climbing the structure himself. That _idiot;_ he had zero self-preservation skills. His foot slipped again, and Sasuke was so sure his heart short-circuited _twice._ Itachi reached the child, setting himself beside the blonde as he started chatting away, as if he _hadn’t_ just almost fallen off a twelve-foot drop. Sasuke let his jaw loosen, trusting Itachi to keep Naruto alive, and he went to sit on the bench, ignoring Naruto’s happy chirping and Itachi lightly scolding the blonde for not being more careful.

. . .

“Where’re we goin’?” Naruto asked, feet swinging lazily from his perch on Sasuke’s cushion (Naruto was too short for the seat belt, and Sasuke didn’t own a booster seat, so the cushion would have to do), and a band-aid adorning his leg (he ended up scraping it during his fall, and Itachi being _Itachi Uchiha_ pulled the band-aid out of the car cubby as if he had planned for this from the very beginning.

Knowing him, he probably did.)

“I already told you.” Sasuke answered, not bothering to turn around from the passenger seat.

“No you didn’.”

“Yes I did.”

“No you didn’.”

“Yes I-“

“We’re going to my friend’s house.” Itachi interrupted, sighing as if _Sasuke_ was another child in the car. Naruto answered with a prolonged ‘oh’ and proceeded to ask questions left right and center.

“What’s his name?”

“Kisame.”

“What does he look like?”

“He’s really big, and has blue hair.”

“Woah! Really!?”

“Yes.”

“Is he taller th’n you too, Itachi?”

“Yes.”

“This Kis’me pers’n’s really cool.” The blonde’s mushed talking, to his horror, was getting easier to understand. He suppressed a shiver, knowing he could comprehend what this little monster was saying.

“He’s not _that_ cool.” Sasuke countered, crossing his arms. “He’s a weirdo.”

“Yer a weirdo!” Naruto laughed giddily, pointing at Sasuke’s hair. The blonde was turning out to be quite the bully too. Sasuke shot a glare at the blonde, who just grinned innocently before giggling in his open palms, as if he was actually able to hide the smile on his face.

“Calm down Sasuke.” Itachi interjected softly, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder without taking his eyes off the road. Sasuke bristled and whipped his head to glare out the window, any unfortunate soul who happened to look at him instantly swathed in murderous intent. Those two were conspiring against him. He knew it.

Soon enough, Kisame’s home came into view. The condominium was simple both inside and out, but was much more spacious than Sasuke’s apartment. Itachi parked the car, and they all stepped out, the older Uchiha taking the lead and walking towards the correct number and door. Sasuke mindlessly followed, having been here before. Naruto wordlessly trailed behind them.

When they reached the off-white door, Sasuke felt a tug on his arm from below, and turned to find Naruto nervously scuffing his shoe in the pavement. Sasuke furrowed his brow at the sudden change in demeanour but said nothing, opting to let Naruto think while Itachi silently waited the whole ordeal out. Finally, blue eyes lifted to Sasuke’s dark ones, and the blonde bit his lip and wrung his hands on the too-big sweater (he had abandoned the jacket on the car, complaining loudly that he was overheating and needed to breathe. Sasuke relented and now carried the jacket on his arm. What a brat.)

After it was obvious Naruto was at loss for words, Sasuke sighed and fully turned to the child, giving him his undivided attention.

“What is it, Naruto?”

The blonde glanced at the door, eyes shifting between Sasuke at the house.

“What…” A pause, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow, “what if they don’ like me?”

He blinked. _That_ was why he was nervous? Didn’t kids get excited when they met someone new? Why would Naruto be nervous anyway? He seemed like a bright kid who had no fears (if the play structure incident was anything to go by) and had no qualms to live with. Despite being a street kid, Naruto so far seemed pretty outgoing and over joyous with anything Sasuke did or offered. He didn’t _think_ the blonde was hiding any dark and sinister thoughts.

So, he made Naruto elaborate.

“Well, what if they think m’ annoying, an’ wanna’ kick me out?”

“You thought Kisame was cool, like, two minutes ago.”

“Yeah, but, what if he’s cool n’ still doesn’ like me?”

Sasuke pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. Naruto was… so stupid, it was kind of cute. His notion was so ridiculous that only a little kid could have come up with it (an orphan kid whose probably ‘been there, done that’; it made sense, even if it didn’t sit well with him.) Naruto was actually _worried_ that _Kisame Hoshigaki_ was going to kick some little kid out of his house for being _annoying._ The most ridiculous thing Sasuke has ever had the pleasure of knowing.

To be honest, if you didn’t know Kisame, then the statement wouldn’t even be half as funny.

 _Kisame_ (if Itachi were to have an older sibling, it would be Kisame. Hell, if _any_ of the Akatsuki members had an older sibling, it would be Kisame) would kick out _Naruto_ (a tiny kid that, to everyone else’s knowledge, was under the temporary care and protection of the Uchiha brothers. That was _double_ older brother for Kisame) for being too _annoying_ (Kisame lived with Suigetsu, the single most irritating person Sasuke has ever had the displeasure meeting, minus all of Itachi’s friends. He was constantly overflowing the tub with water so he could ‘hydrate quicker’ and was the reason Kisame couldn’t leave the apartment by himself.)

Naruto had less than nothing to worry about.

“Hey! Why’re you laughing?” He angrily accused, swatting at Sasuke’s bangs. He let his smirk slip. Oh well.

“Kisame won’t kick you out for more reasons then I want to explain.” When Naruto gave him a blank look, he sighed and translated. “He won’t kick you out. Don’t worry.”

“But-“

And then more worries poured out of his mouth, and Sasuke was starting to feel his patience thin. What did the blonde not get? He had literally spelled it out for him (he was being irrational; this was some orphan child. Was he ever consolable at that age? No. Naruto was doing a better job at being normal than Sasuke ever had. At seven years old, Sasuke was planning the murder of his older brother).

He turned to Itachi, shrugging his shoulder and gesturing to Naruto, hoping his ‘what the hell should I do now?’ was clear. The older Uchiha pointed to his hand, then to Naruto, and clamped his own two hands together before moving to ring the doorbell. Sasuke gave him an incredulous look, glancing between Itachi and the door. Why couldn’t Itachi do it? Why did _he_ have to do it? Itachi was the one with the soft spot for the blonde. He should be the one to-

He rung the doorbell, and Sasuke hurriedly turned back to Naruto, whose eyes were suspiciously wet and Sasuke really didn’t want to deal with tears in front of someone’s house. He didn’t want to deal with tears anywhere, if he was being honest, but he _really_ didn’t want to deal with them here.

“Naruto.” He cut in, efficiently gaining his attention. He smothered a sigh, and then smothered a groan. This will all be worth it. This will all be worth it. This will all be worth it.

He held out his hand, a not-pout dancing on his lips (because he was an Uchiha; and Uchiha’s didn’t _do_ pouts). Naruto blinked, and then gave Sasuke a confused glance. The kid was really going to make him do it. He was making Itachi pay for his next grocery run.

Sasuke gingerly pried Naruto’s hands from where they tightly gripped his sweater, and held one of the blonde’s in his own. It still shocking to see just how small Naruto was; his palm engulfed the blonde’s hand, and he had to adjust it so Naruto could transfer his death grip (it was really a pathetic death grip, but Sasuke reminded himself that Naruto was a seven-year-old street kid. Death grips didn’t get much stronger than this) onto the side of his hand. Naruto looked like his brain short-circuited, but then he glanced at Sasuke, and Sasuke rolled his eyes and tugged his forward, and Naruto couldn’t keep the small smile from breaking past his lips.

Sasuke ignored Itachi’s small smile too. These people were too smiley. It was making his nauseous (he liked it).

The sound of heavy footsteps pattering forward broke the… whatever this feeling was, and the sound of the door clicking made all three heads turn.

Kisame Hoshigaki was a beast of a man with a heart three times as big as his fist. He stood much taller than Itachi, and his frame was twice as thick (Itachi was a weary man though. Thin muscle tissue hidden beneath tough skin and a slight frame. People often misjudged the older Uchiha when he stepped up to spar, and those people always had their regrets when they were spitting blood at Itachi’s feet.) His skin was pale, in certain lights Sasuke was sure it glowed with a blue hue, and his hair didn’t disappoint. Deep blue contrasted against his skin, and he could practically feel Naruto’s awe oozing out of him. He grinned when he saw them, sharp teeth glinting not unkindly. He heard Naruto’s soft gasp, and rolled his eyes. The blonde was won over already. He could already imagine his reaction to the rest of Itachi’s weird friend group.

“Glad you guys could make it.” He greeted, stepping out of the way to let the three walk in, Naruto still gripping his hand as he shuffled in behind him. Kisame’s eyes instantly snapped to the blonde, who was courageously hiding behind Sasuke, but he just smiled before ushering them further inside, any comments being kept to himself.

A chorus of different greetings bombarded them as they entered the living room, and Sasuke refrained the groan crawling up his throat as he saw all of the Akatsuki gathered in the room. This was going to be interesting (he was going to lose so many brain cells).

Naruto was still hiding, using Sasuke as a body shield, but that didn’t stop numerous eyes from finding the little blonde. It was Deidara who voiced the question on everyone’s minds.

“Who’s the kid, hm?”

Back in the car, Itachi and Sasuke had discussed on an explanation that would satisfy anyone who questioned the relation they had with the blonde. They settled on a convincing-enough story on how they were taking care of Naruto for a distant relative (Itachi had pointed out how Naruto looked nothing like them, but Sasuke thought that was irrelevant.) So, he watched as Itachi briefly explained the story, spotting Suigetsu sitting on the ground with his food. He waved Sasuke over, and since Naruto was attached to Sasuke in a weird package deal, he dragged him over too.

“Sasuke! I didn’t think you’d come. I was _so_ ready for a night of sitting by myself.” The white-haired boy drawled, pulling out more cushions from the sofa so they could sit. Suigetsu was one of the few people Sasuke would consider a close acquaintance (friend) and hung out with him frequently enough. He had a love for swimming, got dehydrated quickly, and shared his cousin’s love for swords (they were both so weird, and the both of them were the more tolerable ones in the group).

Suigetsu eyed Naruto, then at their conjoined hands, and a smirk stretched across his face.

“Awe, Sasuke! I didn’t know you were a mom!”

“Shut up, you moron. Didn’t you hear Itachi? _Distant relative._ ” He rolled his eyes when the other male snickered.

“He looks nothing like you. How’d a kid like that get stuck with you?”

Ah, so Itachi had had a point a then. What a shame.

“Again. _Distant_ relative.”

He just kept laughing.

. . .

There were so many big people here. And they were all so cool.

Naruto had already seen the Kisame man, and Itachi had been right. He was so big! He was taller than Itachi! Just having to look up at him made Naruto’s neck hurt. And then they entered a different room full of cool-looking people. They all had bright hair and weird eyes and they were all so _big_. It made his head spin a little bit, but Sasuke said to stick close to him, so he didn’t wander around. He had spotted a plant by the window when they had entered, and he _really badly_ wanted to go see it, but it was across the room, so his curiosity would have to wait.

The guy Sasuke was talking to was like Kisame; light skin and sharp teeth, but his hair was almost white and he had the _coolest_ blue eyes. They almost looked purple. He was really nice too; he had told Naruto that his hair was nice. Or well, Naruto _thought_ that was what he meant. He had said something about how he ‘couldn’t possibly be related to the dark, stone-faced Uchiha’s with that bright hair of yours’. He got the bright hair part, but other than that he was at a loss. Naruto had long since let go of Sasuke’s hand, being the big boy that he was, and now he now simply sat by his side and absorbed everything around him.

He’s never been in a room full of this many people. And all of them were nice and not yelling at him. They were all yelling, yes, but not at _him,_ so he was grateful. Normally, if he ever tried to talk to someone, they’d either ignore him or shoo him off. At some point the reaction became predictable, and he expected to get brushed aside. In the orphanage, they’d pick out favourites based on certain characteristics, like how smart someone was. They told him he wasn’t very bright, but nobody ever offered to help him.

Naruto already received more smiles here than he’s ever gotten in his whole life combined. They were all so nice, and no one yelled at him or called him annoying or dirty. He really liked it, it made him feel warm and welcomed.

A tap on his shoulder snapped him out of his musing, and he turned to Sasuke.

“You hungry?”

He was, in fact, hungry. But saying it out loud might be rude. Would it be considered rude? Whenever he said he was feeling hungry in the orphanage, they’d just say he was being greedy, and that everyone needed to eat. It made him feel bad, because there were other kids there too, and they all looked so sad and thin and probably needed the food more than he did. So he would just nod and let them eat first.

But Sasuke was waiting for an answer, and so he made up his mind and nodded, adding a quipped ‘yes!’. These people seemed nice, so he would trust them.

He always trusted nice people.

Sasuke got up and led him to a high table set with food. It was… a really tall table, and the items were placed on trays that Naruto, much to his growing frustration, couldn’t see. He tried clinging to the edge and going on his tiptoes, but to no avail. Sasuke chuckled at his growing struggles, and Naruto stuck his tongue at him.

“Yer’ a meany!” He accused, going back to his attempts at trying to see the food.

“And you’re too short.” Sasuke replied, and Naruto pouted. Sasuke sighed, putting his plate down and glaring at the floor. Naruto noticed that Sasuke did that a lot; glare at something and stay still for a while before snapping out of it and voicing his decision. Naruto had the feeling that Sasuke couldn’t think without an angry face. It was kind of funny.

Sasuke looked up suddenly, and gestured to Naruto to come closer, and the blonde obeyed curiously. When he was close enough, the Uchiha took him from under the arms and _picked him up._

Naruto squawked, his free hand immediately wrapping around Sasuke’s neck to support himself. His feet left the ground and dangled in the air, and for a second he thought he would fall.

But Sasuke’s arms felt solid underneath him, and he felt… secure.

Naruto’s never been held before. Or, well, he’s never been held _nicely_ before. It felt nice. He looked down at his dangling feet, feeling giddy as he swayed them around. He loosened his grip on Sasuke’s neck (but he kept his arm there just in case he was dropped. Sasuke was nice, but he couldn’t take any chances.) and looked around.

He could see e _verything._

All the food that had once been out of his reach was now displayed beneath him. The people that he had to crane his neck to see were at the same height, and Naruto marvelled at how tall he was.

“What’s so funny?” Sasuke chided, adjusting his hold so Naruto rested on his hip. He felt so untouchable, like no one could hurt him while Sasuke held him. He felt like he could be happy and no one would say anything.

He put this experience as number one on his list of nice things he’s had in life. Being held was the best feeling _ever._

But he didn’t know how to tell Sasuke that. He didn’t know the right words that would describe the feeling in his chest. So, he simply grinned cheekily and patted Sasuke’s shoulder, waving his free legs around.

“I’m so tall!”

“No. I’m tall. You’re leaching off of me.”

“Nu-uh!”

“Just tell me what you want.”

Oh, that was a good idea. He turned to see the items below and stared in awe at all the options. He’s never had access to so many different foods. It made him slightly dizzy just looking at all of it, but he tried to pick out something that was good.

But there was just… so much! How was he supposed to choose? What if he didn’t like it? He didn’t want to waste anything if he ended up disliking it, but he also had no idea which options were the good ones.

He looked at Sasuke’s plate, which contained a sandwich and some… nugget looking thing. Sasuke seemed pretty smart, and his cooking was amazing, so Naruto trusted his judgement when it came to the foods he chose.

“I want what you got.” He decided, pointing to his plate just in case Sasuke didn’t know what he was talking about. He obliged with his request with a raised eyebrow, using the tongs to get the items, Naruto content with holding his plate while Sasuke held Naruto in one arm and used the other to get the food. Sasuke was really strong.

Once he finished, he put Naruto down (much to his disappointment; being held felt like heaven) and ushered him to a different, smaller table full of drinks. Naruto had never seen drinks like these before, and couldn’t understand the funky labels written on them. He furrowed his brow, annoyed, but waited for Sasuke to decide on something.

Which he did. He poured himself some bright orange bubbly stuff before walking away. Naruto silently followed, not understanding and not needing to either. Grown-up stuff always hurts his brain.

They went back to Suigetsu, who was finishing up one of his onigiris. He glanced at them, and snorted.

“Dude, you’re _just_ like a mom.” He laughed, and Sasuke kicked him in the shin when he put his stuff down, Naruto following in suit (without the kicking, because he wasn’t _rude_ ).

“Shut up, idiot.”

“Defensive much.” He teased, nudging him with his elbow, which Sasuke swatted away and pinched his leg. Suigetsu yelped, rubbing at the sore spot, but the smirk on his face was ever-present.

“Do you guys have any juice or something?” Sasuke asked suddenly, and the white-haired boy perked up.

“I think so. Why? The soda too strong for you?”

Sasuke flipped him off, then his eyes went wide, glancing down at the blonde happily munching on his sandwich and watching the exchange with unblinking eyes.

“Don’t repeat what I just did.” He ordered sternly. Naruto didn’t understand what it meant. He’s seen people in cars sometimes do that hand sign too, but he never got around to understanding what it actually stood for. If Sasuke did it, then it must be important, right?

“Why?” He asked.

“It… means something bad.”

“But you just-“

“Naruto. No.”

He huffed in annoyance, taking another bite and angrily chewing. If Sasuke could do it then why couldn’t _he_ do it? It was unfair.

Suigetsu laughed.

“If you’re not the mom, then you’re like his bossy older brother!”

Sasuke didn’t retaliate for that one, but thoughtfully chewed instead before once again asking for the juice.

“It’s for Naruto.”

“Oh, why didn’t you say so?”

Suigetsu walked away with another pinch to the leg while Naruto slowly deposited the nugget-looking things from his plate to Sasuke’s. He had tried one, but it tasted funny and was too soft. He didn’t like it, but Sasuke seemed to enjoy them. No harm done.

Suigetsu came back with a juice box, handing it to Sasuke who handed it to Naruto (after opening the straw up and sticking it in the hole. Naruto was grateful, because that process looked so complicated and hard.) He took it with both hands, as to not drop it, and happily sipped the contents, musing over whether or not Suigetsu was taller than Sasuke, because Suigestu seemed really big. Not as big as the Kisame man, because Kisame was _huge_ and super muscle-y. Suigetsu was like Itachi; tall and not muscle-y.

“Oh yeah, I’m definitely taller than our little sauce-boy over here.” The sharp-toothed male supplied when Naruto asked, patting the Uchiha on the shoulder.

Sasuke gave him an incredulous look.

“Excuse me? Since when?”

“Since forever.”

“Don’t listen to him Naruto. I’ve always been taller.” Sasuke told Naruto casually, who simply nodded because he honestly had no idea what was going on. The white-haired male yelled, something along the lines of ‘get up now and I’ll prove it!’, to which Sasuke simply shrugged and declined with ‘don’t want to crush your self-esteem’. Sasuke was so thoughtful.

He sipped up the last drops of his juice, handing the carton and his plate to Sasuke so he could put them away.

“Don’t listen to him, Naruto. I’m taller, he’s just sad because it’s the truth. But don’t tell him I told you, it’ll hurt his feelings.” Suigetsu turned and whispered once Sasuke was out of sight, giving Naruto an encouraging pat on the head (he grinned at that).

“Okay.” He nodded seriously, because he didn’t _want_ to hurt Sasuke’s feelings. That would be mean and Sasuke was so nice (he always looked angry, but he _was_ nice). He’d keep Suigetsu’s secret, even if it weighed him down for the rest of his life.

Sasuke came back, and Naruto suddenly felt bad that Sasuke felt sad about being shorter. He always felt better when the nice lady who sometimes visited the orphanage gave him a head pat, so he gestured for Sasuke to come closer and bend down. He rolled his eyes but did so anyway, and looked shocked when Naruto pet his weird duck hair and whispered ‘there there’. He would feel better eventually. Everyone got over their struggles.

Naruto missed the way Suigetsu burst out laughing, but didn’t miss when Sasuke smacked him in the head, his ears bright red.

“Guys! Are you coming or what? We’re starting.” Someone called from the deformed circle the rest of the people were sitting in, chairs and cushions being pulled up for more sitting room. Sasuke and Suigetsu joined them, Naruto hovering by the former’s side with less than zero ideas on what was going on. But Sasuke seemed smart, so he would trust him.

Or, well, he had _thought_ he could trust him, but Sasuke sat on one of the chairs and pointed to Itachi.

“Go sit with him. He’s on the sofa, so you’ll be more comfortable.”

But that meant having to walk through the weird circle of people who he didn’t know. He looked back at Sasuke, but he just shooed him away. Traitor.

Okay, he could do this. Just try not to bump into anyone, and hope Itachi would let him sit. Itachi was super nice and really cool and much smoother than Sasuke too. He gave Naruto head pats and chocolate and liked his manners. He wouldn’t turn him down, right?

Collecting the remaining ounce of his courage, Naruto crept forward, smiling when Itachi immediately spotted him and waved him over. He bounded the rest of the way, feeling the eyes of others on his back. He was almost within the safe confines that was Itachi, and cheered to himself when he finally made it incident-free. The stares were starting to make him feel nervous.

Most stares weren’t that nice to him.

There wasn’t any space on the sofa, but following Itachi’s instructions, he turned around, feeling the older Uchiha’s hands under his arms before he was lifted into the air and placed on his lap. He didn’t know what to do. There was nothing to hold, to keep him from falling. But he wasn’t falling, and he felt secure. Warm. It was like being held by Sasuke, but much more stable. It felt so… safe. Was this what that child had felt, being held to his mother’s chest when she had come in? Like nothing could touch him. His back was pressed against Itachi’s chest, and he wiggled around to get comfortable, being unable to fight the grin stretching on his face.

Not many people who touched him were nice. They would either hit him or scold him or push him or hurt him in some way. Their touches were never nice and warm like Itachi’s or Sasuke’s. They have only been kind to him; more kind than anyone he’s ever met. He doesn’t understand what he did to deserve their affection, but he soaked it up anyways. It was like entering a warm shop after walking in the cold outdoors (like when Sasuke first let him into his apartment), or like washing away all his fears (when he had showered in the warm water, feeling all the dirt clinging to his hair and skin fall away, and left him feeling lighter than ever). They were so _nice._

He was already dreading the end of the weekend, because the longer he stayed with the two brothers, the harder he knew adjusting back to his old lifestyle would be.

He shook his head, feeling Itachi’s chin brush against his hair. Thinking like that would spoil the warm feeling in his chest. The next few days were looking bright, and when Itachi wound his arms around his torso, he felt himself relax. He didn’t have to worry about being dropped, Itachi wouldn’t drop him. He wasn’t like all those other people.

He was _nice._

“How is he even related to you, hm?” Someone asked loudly, breaking the tranquillity of Naruto’s thoughts. He turned his head to the blonde girl who asked. She leaned back against the arm of the sofa and crossed her arms. She was really loud. Naruto already knew; he could hear her from across the room when he was eating. Though her voice was kind of weird; not like any of the women in the orphanage. It was much deeper. But who was he to judge?

“I had already said he was a _distant_ relative, Deidara.” Itachi replied calmly, much quieter and softer than the blonde girl. Naruto could feel the vibrations of his voice in his chest, from where it pressed against his back. He couldn’t fight the grin on his face. He liked being held like this a _lot._ It would be at the top of his list for things he would miss.

“I can’t see him being a _nything_ like that. He looks nothing like you, hm!”

“He looks more like you, don’t you think.” Kisame interjected, pointing to the blonde girl.

Naruto furrowed his brow. He didn’t look like that girl. She was loud and had really long hair (it looked really soft and silky though, and he wanted to touch it). Plus… he wasn’t a girl.

“Itachi, I don’ look like her, right?” he asked, looking up and meeting Itachi’s eyes.

“Like who?”

“Like _her._ ” He pointed to the blonde girl, and everyone seemed to become quiet. He glanced around, confused, and then looked up at Itachi for answers, because he was smart and also Sasuke’s older brother. Sasuke was smart, which meant Itachi was smarter.

He didn’t get a chance to ask though, because the room erupted in loud laughter and left his ears ringing and his head feeling dizzy with the noise. The blonde girl’s face was bright red, and she yelled at the people laughing. Why were they laughing? He had no idea what was going on, but Itachi was chuckling softly and he could feel it through his back, and even though everyone else was really loud, Itachi’s laugh was soft, and he rather liked his laugh. So, he settled on focusing on that instead.

“Naruto, that’s Deidara.” Itachi gestured to the blonde girl.

He nodded.

“Deidara isn’t a girl.”

He nodded again.

“He’s a _boy._ ”

Oh…

Wait. That didn’t make any sense.

He looked up to see Deidara repeatedly shouting at some red-head, and honestly? He couldn’t see it. He had long hair like a girl. But Itachi also had long hair. But Itachi was a boy, so he guessed Deidara could be a boy too. It would explain why his voice was weird. He nodded at his conclusion, but still felt bad for making fun of the other blonde. He didn’t like being made fun of, and didn’t feel good when people laughed at him. He frowned, feeling guilt crawl its way up his chest and chase away his warmth.

He needed to fix this.

Deidara was sitting beside Itachi, so he leaned sideways and gently tapped his knee. The blonde looked up, and Naruto (since he couldn’t really bow) clasped his hands together and apologized.

“I’m sorry!”

Deidara blinked, looking up to Itachi before staring back at Naruto. He smirked, ignoring the silver-haired male he was throwing pillows at in favour of answering him.

“It’s fine kid.” He waved his apologies off, giving him the okay before going back to his argument. Naruto didn’t really understand what happened, but accepted that he was forgiven and settled back into Itachi’s hold.

. . .

They were playing some sort of card game, and Naruto was tasked with the assignment of helping Itachi by grabbing one of the spoons on the table. It was a confusing game, but Itachi told him what to do, and his job was simple enough; when Itachi got all of the same number Naruto was to grab one of the spoons as fast as he could. If someone grabbed a spoon before him, then he had to get one before they ran out. It was easy enough to understand, and so far, he hadn’t lost yet.

(Itachi noticed how the spoon closest to them was never sought after. Whether they liked it or not, after layers and layers of psychotic energy, his friends could be big softies. That was after a _lot_ of layers though, so kudos on Naruto for having been able to break through all of them in one fell swoop.)

It made Naruto’s heart race every time it started. The cards would fly through Itachi’s hands so fast that Naruto’s head spun, and it was only when Itachi nudged Naruto that he realized he had his four cards and he was supposed to grab a spoon. It was stressful, and he hit his knuckles against the table, but he was having _fun._

“Itachi! Itachi! Look!” He grinned, waving the spoon he once again got and proudly showed it to the Uchiha.

“I can’t believe I’m losing to some kid.” The silver-haired guy with cool eyes muttered, throwing his cards down and crossing his arms.

“That’s because you’re bad at the game.”

“Say that to my face you-“

Naruto didn’t get the chance to hear the rest of his shouting (Itachi’s friends yelled a lot, but they were also really funny, so it evened things out), because Itachi’s hands came down on his ears and blocked the noise out. They didn’t lift until the man with stitching scars on his mouth who was constantly threatening the guy threw his spoon at him, effectively shutting him up.

“Itachi, what’d he say?”

“Nothing important.”

Well, that settled that.

“Shut _up_ Hidan. There’s a kid here.” The shark-man (he sheepishly forgot his name, but there were so many to remember that they flew through one ear and out the other) reprimanded, gesturing to Naruto.

“And whose bright idea was it to bring a fuckin’ kid here?” This time the spoon hit him right in the forehead. Naruto didn’t know why they kept shushing him. He was a big boy, he knew what those words were (he never said them, but people were always yelling them at him when he was on the streets and even when he was in the orphanage. The older kids there would learn new bad words and start saying them all the time. He didn’t know what they meant, but he knew better than to say them).

But to the man’s words, he wilted. Did he think Naruto was annoying? We’re they going to kick him out? Sasuke had _promised_ that they wouldn’t hurt him or throw him outside, but the guy looked so mad and he had said that he didn’t like Naruto. Or, well, that’s what he thought it meant. He didn’t want to go back so soon. He had no idea how to get back. And he was looking forward to spending more time with the Uchiha’s.

His worries were for naught though, as Itachi settled his arms around him again and started dealing out cards.

“He’s a vital asset to my team.”

“Easy for you to say.” Hidan grumbled, but reached over to ruffle Naruto’s hair anyways. He laughed, because everyone was really nice and gave him head pats and he was pretty sure he’s gotten more kind affection in this house then he had collectively his entire life.

(He doesn’t want to go back.)

Hidan was kind of weird, but he had cool eyes and white hair and a cool necklace, and he gave Naruto a piggy-back ride while Naruto had complained to Sasuke that his neck was starting to hurt (everyone was really tall, so looking up constantly was making his neck sore.) He had been so high up, he looked down on almost _everyone._ He had made sure to rub it in Sasuke’s face too, because Sasuke was a meany.

The shark-man had given him another juice box too. It was sitting half-finished on the table.

Deidara had given him a high-five.

The pretty lady with purple hair and a soft voice had given him a _mint candy._ Naruto’s _never_ had a mint candy before, and he loved it. It looked like the little fish cakes in his ramen cup. It was his new favourite candy after the one Itachi gave him (that one was a truce token – whatever that meant – so it was special.)

He didn’t get to talk to everyone, but none of them had been mean to him, so he was happy.

He’s never felt this warm before.

He liked it a lot.

. . .

By the time the next round had been dealt (they were playing poker, which was a terrible idea, but Sasuke had no say in the matter) Naruto’s had laid suspiciously still on Itachi’s shoulder. His eyes were closed, and Sasuke smirked when he realized the blonde was asleep, the slow burn of poker having gotten to him. He was actually quite impressed with how the evening had played out, and how long the blonde had lasted. It was well past midnight, and Naruto had been a non-stop ball of energy once he got past his initial fear and nervousness.

Sasuke had had his doubts before on how everyone would react (or rather, he was suspicious of how they would act because they were all missing more than a few vital brain cells), but they had behaved surprisingly well. They had actually _behaved._ No one got drunk and yeah, there had been a lot of yelling and he was pretty sure Kakuzu had given Hidan three bruises, but no knife was pulled out and he was pretty sure Kisame was ready to adopt the little blonde.

Itachi was right, they were all just soft-hearted loose screws.

Wait, no, they weren’t soft-hearted. He takes it back. They were _anything_ but soft-hearted.

He had been a witness to Hidan killing a squirrel as a sacrifice for his religious figure, Kakuzu stitching said squirrel back up as ‘practice’, and Sasori scaring off numerous children by attaching strings to it and playing with the deformed dead animal like one of his creepy puppets. Deidara ended up stuffing the squirrel’s mouth with gunpowder before throwing it in the bonfire. They were all nutcases, and they all probably had reservations in some mental facility or prison cell. For most of them probably both (he was pretty sure Zetsu was a cannibal, so definitely both.)

But, despite that, Naruto was still in one piece and fast asleep. They had held back, for the most part. So when Sasuke caught the sight of a bottle of whiskey being pulled out of Deidara’s jacket, he let them have the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uuuh Naru gets his head pats, and I'm just vibin' (by myself)


	3. Grocery shopping, but with feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke's trump card is to run, and he's a man that plays by his strongest cards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hate this

It occurred to Sasuke, somewhere between fighting off sleep and regretting waking up, that children who sleep early tend to wake up early too. It astonished him just how Naruto effortlessly got up in the morning, and wondered when he’d lost his ability to do so as well.

Through his flimsy blinds, sunlight streamed into the room in soft beams, one such beam landing directly in his damn eye. He rolled over, but the deed had already been done, and the light had chased away the last of his sleep. Such a shame. The rest of the bed, Naruto’s half (though he was finding it unfair that Naruto got the same size portion of the bed that he got) was already empty, just like it had been yesterday, with the sheets ruffled and thrown to the side. If he strained his ears, he’d be able to hear the blonde’s chirping from his bedroom, not that he was going to do that because he didn’t really care.

Accepting the fact that he wasn’t going to fall back asleep any time soon, Sasuke huffed, throwing the blanket off his legs and swinging them over the side of the bed. At least he was grateful that Naruto didn’t manage to wake him up while he got out of bed.

He hadn’t touched the alcohol last night, as he was pretty sure Sasori had at poisoned at some point. He also had Naruto to look after, and while he was sure Itachi was more than capable of taking care of the blonde, he didn’t want to add the trouble of having to drag his drunk body home alone with the sleeping child. It was the least he could do.

Blearily he walked to his closet, picking out a random sweater and a pair of sweatpants before stumbling out and into the bathroom, responding the dual ‘good morning’s with a grunt. He hated morning breath, and made quick work in brushing his teeth.

By the time he came out, Itachi was already in the kitchen (his heart spiked up, but then settled when he saw his brother abiding by his previous restrictions) cutting something mindlessly while Naruto was on his tiptoes washing the strawberries. Itachi spotted him and gave him a small smile, hair falling past his shoulder and bangs neatly framing his face.

Mikato Uchiha had been a beautiful woman. Most of her features had been soft, yet she still held the sharp nose and cheeks of the standard Uchiha face. Her hair had been long and silky, more often than not it was let loose, cascading down her back like a waterfall. She too had elegant bangs that shaped her face and contrasted with her pearly smile. She would wake up every morning and start with breakfast, cutting strawberries and making a salad for their morning meal.

Both Sasuke and Itachi had inherited their looks from their soft-eyed mother, as many people never failed to point out. But unlike Sasuke, Itachi’s smile came from their mother too. (Sasuke hasn't smiled in a long time).

Small and soft, not endearing but welcoming; inviting him over to hug her and ask her what he could do to help. It always made a smile appear on his face too, because her happiness was contagious. Sasuke wanted to walk over and hug her, arms circling around the familiar graceful frame and being engulfed in the promised warmth she would provide. But then Itachi turned back to his knife, and the light revealed long stress lines that had managed to carve themselves under his eyes, and Sasuke realized (for the umpteenth time) that Itachi was not Mikato Uchiha.

He shook off the foreign weight clinging to his mind and took a deep breath. He could ignore this. Just until the end of the weekend, and then Naruto would be set free once more and Sasuke would be able to finally breathe without the threat of the dam breaking and pouring over him.

“You didn’t add strawberries yesterday.” He said instead, successfully pushing back the searing heat in his lungs.

“No, this one’s different. Ah, there won’t be tomatoes in this one.” Sasuke made a face, because what kind of salad didn’t have tomatoes? Naruto handed Itachi the washed (and dripping) strawberries, pride shining in his blue eyes at his achievement. Sasuke made another face at the water droplets on his floor too.

“What should I make?” Sasuke asked, opening the fridge and letting his eyes roam around the contents, enjoying the slightly chill it gave him.

“How about french toast?”

Sasuke shrugged in response, retrieving the eggs and milk without complaint.

He didn’t have much of a sweet tooth (Suigetsu called him an old man for it), finding displeasure in the taste of anything with too much sugar. He was more of the savoury type and enjoyed saltier treats. Itachi, on the other hand, indulged himself in sugary junk more often than not. Even now, Sasuke knew he kept a small jar of candies and other goods in the top cabinet. So making Itachi's French toast required twice the amount of sugar than the amount Sasuke would put in his own. Naruto would get the _normal_ amount, because he wasn’t about to deal with a hyperactive kid in the morning. He didn't really want to deal with hyperactive children during _any_ part of the day, but especially not in the mornings.

“Sasuke c’n make French toast too?!” Naruto exclaimed in disbelief, awe swimming in his wide eyes as he looked up at him.

“His french toast is my favourite.” Itachi solidified, nodding. Sasuke felt his ears grow hot, and turned away.

“You’ll like anything that’s doused in sugar.” He muttered, breaking the eggs.

“But none of them are quite like yours. It’s like I can taste the love.” Itachi hummed. The soft tease made his ears grow warmer, and he turned his attention fully to his eggs.

“Itachi?” Naruto asked, tugging on his pant.

“Hm?”

“Does love taste good?”

Sasuke choked on his spit.

. . .

Needless to say, breakfast went without incident, and he was once again left pondering on what to do as Naruto chatted away with his plant (he watered it yesterday after coming back, because now that his brain chose to have feelings, it also chose to nag him about not killing the poor thing). The storm outside raged on stronger than it had yesterday, hitting against his window with dull thuds and whistling around. There was no way they were going out lest they wanted to die in some pile of snow. Even driving in this condition was treacherous (completed with the fact that he didn’t have a valid license at the moment).

He did have homework to do, and had been planning on doing that today, but now he had a certain blonde brat to consider. It was starting to look like one of those lazy Sundays where he had nothing to do and spent hours on end _thinking_ of what to do. Normally, when Itachi came over for weekends, they would play video games for the whole day before going out for a run in the evening. The run was out of the question, but maybe video games weren’t?

All his games were quite graphic though, and he was pretty sure children didn’t play violent video games.

What to do. What to do.

Oh, but he did have _one_ game. One God-forsaken game that sat on his shelf collecting dust because he hadn’t played it since he was a preteen. That stupid stupid game that had him clenching his hair and wasting time sitting on the floor in front of the screen with no regard for whatever was happening around him.

He could play that. Itachi would play anything. And it would occupy Naruto.

And it would kill the last remaining brain cells that he had left.

But it wasn’t like he had a lot of choice in the matter. Naruto was bouncing on his sofa, and whether he realized it or not, it was pulling the cushions out of their spot. He sighed, giving up on his homework and moving to set up the game that rose from the pits of Hell and took solitude on his shelf. He’d just complete all the important stuff tomorrow, because it was a long weekend for a reason, and no sane person did their work before crunch hours.

“What are you setting up?” Itachi asked, stepping out of the bathroom with his hair damp and loosely tied at the bottom. Sasuke hoped none of that annoying hair got stuck in the drain, because it was a pain in every body part to have to clean out. And it happened every. Single. Time.

“A game.”

“Is that _Minecraft_?” He heard the incredulous tone without having to see Itachi’s disbelieving face. Sasuke cringed himself after hearing the name, already regretting his decision. But it was currently his only option, at least until the storm died down a little.

“It’ll pass the time.”

“I thought you threw that away.”

“Why would I throw a perfectly fine game away?”

Itachi hummed but didn’t comment, instead taking a seat on the floor by the couch and reaching for his glasses. Naruto had stopped talking and jumping around while Sasuke had set up the game, and was now curiously watching him get the controllers out. His eyes instantly lit up.

“Are we playin’ a game?!” He yelled excitedly, effectively destroying Sasuke’s eardrums.

“Yes,” Sasuke replied in a much more reasonable tone. He was grateful that he had charged the batteries beforehand, leaving no restricting cord to be needed for charging. He handed one to Itachi, and gave the red one to Naruto; it was the brightest colour, and the closest to orange (as Sasuke was quickly discovering was the blonde’s favourite colour) as it was going to get.

“Have you played before?” Itachi’s soft voice asked while Sasuke opened the game up and loaded a normal setting.

“Yeah! Sometimes the older kids let us play.” He explained, and Sasuke raised a questioning eyebrow.

“What older kids?” Sasuke asked nonchalantly.

“In my orphan’ge.”

That… wasn’t actually that strange. Naruto had said he lived in the alley when they first met, but now Sasuke just felt stupid for originally believing him. Of _course_ , he was from Konoha’s orphanage. What kind of orphan _didn’t_ come from the orphanage? Naruto was way too young to have been living on the streets all his life and survive, and that would also explain how Sasuke had never before taken notice of the blonde living beside his apartment complex. Naruto had probably just run away, not that Sasuke could blame him. That place was a hellhole at best, clearly not funded properly and with a significant lack of supervision if a child could successfully run away.

Itachi’s features were schooled, but Sasuke could see the frown in his eyes. They’d talk later, and it made the decision of what to do with Naruto after the weekend a lot clearer (it still didn’t sit well with him).

For now, they loaded in their separate controllers and changed their settings (Naruto gleefully switched his avatar’s skin, commenting about how many ‘super cool options he had’). Itachi was a weirdo who liked his sensitivity low, and Sasuke made up for it by turning his up all the way.

“It’s a wonder how you can even look at anything.” Itachi sighed, pointedly not looking at Sasuke’s portion of the screen.

“It’s a wonder how you move at all.” Sasuke retorted back, already chopping down the nearest tree like a normal player. Naruto and Itachi were not normal players, and would definitely not survive the night with the way they were going. The blonde was chasing down a fox that had appeared, and Itachi was searching the nearby village.

“Naruto. The fox won’t give you anything!” Sasuke reprimanded when the blonde accidentally hit him instead of the damn orange cube running around.

“You we’re just n’ the way.” Naruto scolded him back, and it took a lot more effort than it should have to not hit Naruto back. More wood was collected, and soon Sasuke was digging through other essential materials when Itachi reappeared on his screen.

“Do I even want to know where you’ve been?”

“I was gathering supplies.”

“You burned the village, didn’t you?”

“Why would you accuse me of such a terrible thing?”

“Sasuke! There’s a big fire!” Naruto shrieked suddenly, and jumped up to bodily turn Sasuke’s head to his portion screen. There was indeed a huge fire, and Itachi innocently gasped.

“What an unfortunate event.”

“Yeah, how _unfortunate._ ” Sasuke seethed through clenched teeth.

. . .

“What the FUCK!” Sasuke yelled, throwing his controller down and glaring at Itachi.

“Sasuke, Naruto.” Itachi calmly pointed out, and Sasuke clamped his mouth shut after seeing the blonde’s wide, unblinking eyes staring at him. He cursed (in his head) and told Naruto not to repeat what he just said, to which the blonde looked like he was holding back a laugh before going back to the screen.

It didn’t deter his anger though, if anything it fueled his rage.

He sidestepped Naruto and leapt forward, body crashing into Itachi and effectively making him drop the controller, landing on the ground with a soft huff. Naruto, though startled, laughed as Sasuke quickly scrambled up and sat on his chest, stealing Itachi’s controller and driving him off the cliff on the screen.

“So mature.” Itachi drawled, letting his arms and legs limply fall back as he watched the red title screen take over his portion.

“You fuc- you let me die!” Sasuke yelled, not getting up and reaching for his own controller.

“You fell yourself.”

“No!”

Itachi just sighed and rested his head back on the floor.

. . .

“Sas’ke! I have your diamonds!” Naruto laughed evilly, moving so his character ran out of the house and jump into the lake.

“You little brat. Give it back!” Sasuke gave chase, then groaned loudly when Naruto fell into the pit of lava. The blonde at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed.

“Whoops.”

. . .

Sasuke stretched his arms above his head, feeling satisfying pops in his back and working out the kinks in his neck with a sigh. Five hours. Five fucking hours he spent constantly dying and being ganged up on by the two pricks. They had established a house and even a _farm,_ gleefully raiding his tree house no matter how far he built it.

Now Naruto’s stomach was speaking its language and Itachi was fixing up his hair from all the times Sasuke bodily threw himself at him. The game closed, and Sasuke set everything aside before looking out the window. The storm had calmed a little bit from the morning, now giving some visibility instead of a never-ending sheet of white. It was best to go shopping now before it could get worse.

“Get up. We’re going grocery shopping.” Sasuke toed Itachi’s ribs before aggressively ruffling Naruto’s hair. The kid was a demon, there was no convincing Sasuke otherwise.

“I get to go too?” Naruto asked hopefully, hopping off Itachi’s stomach and trailing behind him. Sasuke silently handed the boy his only other pair of (clean) clothes, instructing him to get changed.

“If I left you here, my house would go up in flames.”

“Would not!”

“Just change.”

Sasuke left the blonde to his devices and opened his closet to fish out the grocery bags. He wasn’t going to kill the planet by using the plastic ones if he could help it. Naruto hopped out of the room with his new attire and deftly followed Sasuke’s instructions on wearing the sweater and jacket. They walked out of the building’s blissfully warm atmosphere, being paraded with the onslaught of howling cold winds and biting snow instantly. Sasuke suppressed a shiver and headed to the car, scowling when Itachi got into the driver’s seat and twirled _his_ keys.

“Don’t look so down, little brother.”

“Drive.” He ordered.

The ride to the grocery store was uneventful, minus Naruto accidentally opening the window and letting in a flurry of wind and snow. Sasuke locked the windows after that.

They arrived, parked and hurried inside, Naruto happily discarding the jacket into the cart. The store was quite empty, with the weather outside prompting most to stay indoors. The aisles were littered with a few people here and there, and the waiting lines all seemed relatively speedy. Sasuke diverted the cart to the produce, picking out a couple of fruits and vegetables, with the expected collection of tomatoes in the mix.

“Why do ya’ eat so many? Their so squishy n’ gross.” Naruto explained, wrinkling his nose and sticking out his tongue to gag at the sight.

“You’re squishy and gross.”

“Yer’ a meany!” the blonde loudly accused, pointing at him to get his whole statement across.

“Sasuke, don’t be rude.” Itachi admonished, but the small smile on his face betrayed his true intentions. Sasuke muttered ‘prick’ under his breath before grabbing a packet of apples. The produce swept by, and Sasuke also got milk, cheese and eggs. He normally cooked all his meals, so basic ingredients and spices found their way into his cart more often than not. Itachi threw in a packet of some sugar-induced junk, and Sasuke glared at him.

“This stuff will kill you one day.”

“I am aware.” He replied solemnly, placing a bag of chips in the mix. Sasuke couldn’t really argue with that one. They circled the aisles and slowly made their way to check-out, only to be met with the walking-talking headache that was Sakura. He internally grimaced and tried to think of an escape route before she spotted him.

Too late.

“Sasuke! I didn’t think I’d catch you here!” She exclaimed loudly and honestly, how did Sasuke miss her bright pink hair? How? He could have avoided this entire encounter and the need to now interact with her if he had just noticed her and changed lanes. It was too late now though. Stupid Naruto for being so distracting and trying to climb the cart.

“Hn. Groceries.” He simply supplied, putting his items on the conveyer belt for the girl to scan. She giggled, because what he said was _so_ funny, and took the first item to scan.

“It’s been so slow today, because of the storm and all.” She explained, because Sasuke had never asked to begin with and didn’t care. She either didn’t read his mood or didn’t care like him. “It’s nice to see a familiar face. The offer for the party is still up by the way!”

“No thanks.” He muttered, emptying the rest of the cart. They were almost out, so close to freedom that Sasuke could taste it. It was just an unfortunate set back that Naruto was with him.

“Woah, lady, yer’ really pretty.” He stated, clinging to the edge of the belt because he was too short to actually see her fully. Sasuke stifled a groan. Sakura giggled, reaching over to pet his hair and feed his insatiable need for affection.

“You’re so sweet. Where’re your parents?” She asked, and Naruto shook his head and pointed to Sasuke and Itachi with a cheeky little grin. She blinked twice, looking between the two before diverting her attention to Itachi, who was bagging the now checked items.

“Is that your older brother?” She asked Sasuke, curiosity shining in her green eyes.

“Yes.”

“He seems so young for someone with a kid like this.”

Sasuke choked on his inhale while Naruto cocked his head and Itachi stifled his stupid smile. Was that what everyone who saw them thought? That Itachi was some young father of some loud obnoxious blonde? Did they think _Sasuke_ was the father? Oh lord, dread-filled his stomach as he glared at Itachi. Naruto looked nothing like them, and so the explanation of him being somehow related to them by blood would only be explainable if one of them screwed over some blonde. Sasuke made a face. Itachi _was_ too young; if what Sakura was suggesting were to even be plausible, it would mean that Itachi would have been 17 when Naruto had been born. _Seven-fucking-teen._ That was junior and senior year _in high school_. Sasuke shook his head and forced back a gag.

“No, Naruto is a distant relative.” He quickly fixed up her assumption, and she blushed with the understanding and seemingly became embarrassed at her previous conclusion. Serves her right; Sasuke’s ears were red and hot.

“Oh, sorry. He just looks so… different from you guys.” She collected herself quickly, giving Naruto a smile when he complimented her atrocious hair.

“You’re such a sweetheart! Here,” she handed the blonde one of the displayed chocolates, smiling when he laughed in excitement, “our little secret, ‘kay?”

“Okay!” Sasuke thought he was far too enthusiastic and full of energy for someone who had just finished riding the cart down three aisles and crashing into one of the pillars. Another suspiciously produced bandage on the same leg. When he profoundly thanked her and bounded to Itachi, she turned back to Sasuke, remnants of a blush gone from her cheeks and replaced with a mirthful smile.

“He’s a cute kid.” She supplied, handing Sasuke the machine so he could tap away at it before dully thanking her and leaving to help with the bags. Naruto had offered half his chocolate to Itachi, who ate the sweet with a smile on his own face and sharing some secret unknown to him (he didn’t really care).

All these people were too smiley. It was making his head spin.

“Do you wan’ some too?” Naruto asked when he spotted him, holding out the disgusting bar.

“No thanks.”

“Yer’ weird.” Naruto concluded, happily munching away.

. . .

Despite being fed chocolate, Naruto’s stomach complained loudly, though the blonde himself didn’t voice his hunger. Sasuke didn’t question it, but Itachi offered an evening out, saying how ‘cooking this late into the evening is unpractical’. Sasuke obliged, and gave the instructions to the nearby pizza place. Naruto happily squealed when the restaurant came into view, legs swinging from his perch on the cushion.

“I’ve never been here before!” He exclaimed after climbing out of the car and following Sasuke in.

“Neither have I. You always take me to that awful drive-in a block from here.” Itachi feigned hurt, and Sasuke smirked.

“It’s because you’re not worth the effort.” That wasn’t true. He had his reasons. His brother deserved so much more than what Sasuke could give him, and yet he coward over the little bit he could offer. But he never voiced it, it wasn’t worth Itachi’s time.

But this time, as he looked at Naruto and his excited smile, he felt he owed it to him to make up for everything he didn’t get to experience, everything that Sasuke got the chance to experience already.

Itachi couldn’t read his mind though, and simply put a hand to his chest and sighed.

“You wound me, little brother.”

They checked in a table, Itachi paying for entry much to Sasuke’s displeasure, and Naruto was handed crayons and a colouring sheet while they looked over their menus.

“Let’s just get one large one.” Itachi suggested, and Sasuke shrugged and ordered drinks; soda for the two of them and juice for Naruto.

The place had a warm atmosphere, with the slights giving off an orange and yellow hue. The walls were adorned with small flower-bud like lamps that radiated a nice soft light in contrast to the ones high above. Plants littered a few tabletops and hung from some protruding shelves that lined the entrances. The seats matched the lighting in the warm color scheme, and were padded with maroon fabric and dark wood. It was a nice place, full of people chatting idly and enjoying the food. The bar set up across the floor and occupied by numerous patrons was dimly lit, being the more serious corner of the restaurant. Naruto scribbled away at the paper, happily swinging his legs and oblivious to the rest of the area. Sasuke wished he could be absorbed by colouring like that.

He used to be able to do that. He would enjoy filling in the spaces with carefully selected colours, and would proudly show it to his mother. She would smile, and fold the paper before carefully storing it in her purse. He remembered when once, their father took them to a nice restaurant just like this one, with a warm atmosphere, though it was a Japanese restaurant and they had been celebrating Itachi’s birthday. He coloured his older brother a nice picture as a gift, and was happily fed the soup from his bowl when he couldn’t do it himself without spilling it. His vision burned, and his throat felt like it was closing in, making his chest feel heavy again. The warmth clung to his skin and seeped into his hands, making them clammy. When had it gotten so hard to breathe?

“Sasuke.”

He looked up from where he was gazing at the menu, the feeling disappearing and leaving the cold tendrils in his lungs. He blinked his eyes and turned to Itachi, who gestured to the women waiting with a tray of drinks. He pinched his leg and took a deep breath before facing her.

“Yeah.” He replied to whatever she had said, and she placed down their drinks before leaving. He ignored Itachi’s stare, instead commenting on Naruto’s terrible colouring.

Naruto. This was all happening because of him. (It wasn’t. He’s been fighting off this feeling for years. His mind just found a good scapegoat that he couldn’t run from.) The little blonde reminded him so much of his past, of what he used to have, of what he tried to forget.

There was a reason Sasuke never took Itachi to fancy restaurants like this one, and always refused the other Uchiha’s offers. Their family had always gone to nice places to eat on special occasions, and Sasuke couldn’t for the life of him go back to a place like this and not feel like his past was rushing to wring his neck and take his breath away. These lights and the smell and the way Itachi offered to cut their food even though Sasuke was very much capable. How Itachi took advantage of the free mints at the front like the fucker he was. It _bothered_ Sasuke to no end, because Itachi was just the same as always, and it had Sasuke hitting a brick wall every damn time.

In the recesses of his mind he knew why he brought Naruto and Itachi here today instead of driving through some cheap fast food dine-in like he normally would. He knew that he was giving Naruto a chance to feel something like this, because he probably wouldn’t get the chance again. To get the child-sized cup filled with juice and crayons to pass the time. He would be able to feel how Sasuke felt, and Sasuke couldn’t deny him that. Not when he knows just what Naruto probably feels in the orphanage. Who was he to deny the blonde a small sense of normalcy and warmth? He’s already done so much to find the Itachi Sasuke thought he lost. It was the least he could do to pay back for having the blonde find Itachi’s smile.

Itachi’s stare burned his head, and he knew that if he looked up, he wouldn’t be able to escape. For as long as Sasuke had been alive, his brother could always read him. He was _known_ to be unreadable and unfeeling, and in retrospect he was. He could care less about half the things that went on in his life, but when it came to Itachi, he was just a little boy trying to gain acknowledgment from him all over again.

This was why he had to grow up, he told himself. This was why. Because being a child was suffocating and too vulnerable for his liking. It was so easy to hurt someone like that.

His breathing felt heavy, but then Naruto held up his paper for him to see, and there, on the front, was a terribly drawn… fox? It had a number of wiggling tails and black traced eyes and was such a colour disaster that it hurt Sasuke’s eyes more than Sakura’s hair. But it was so stupidly cute that Sasuke just rolled his eyes to hide his smile and pinched Naruto’s nose.

Throughout his whole dilemma he managed to keep a straight face. To anyone else Sasuke would be the stone-faced Uchiha with eyes that held no emotion. To Itachi, it looked like his younger brother just wanted to cry (he never did. He was an Uchiha. He wasn’t a little kid. He hasn’t cried since he was seven).

But Itachi’s stare was unrelenting, and he figured that if he wanted to get out of this restaurant alive, he’d at least have to indulge in whatever had possessed Itachi to become so nosy.

“What? He finally snapped, looking up to glare at the older Uchiha, but stopped short when he met his gaze. Itachi was known to have beautiful eyes that were borderline feminine; large almond gems that were so deep and dark, but if one looked closely you could see the tint of red that shone in the light. And though his eyes were breath-taking, they were also expressionless. He only let what he wanted to slip through, and it took years of analyzing and noticing small details that Sasuke managed to figure out how to read Itachi. Not as good as his brother could read him, but it was enough.

He looked pained. It was the first time Sasuke’s seen that emotion flicker behind those dark orbs. He looked sad, but not… the sad kind of sad. He looked content, but there was something Sasuke couldn’t pick out. It was like achieving all your goals and being happy, and then feeling hollow because there were no goals left. Content but malcontent. It was strange, and diving further into what Itachi was feeling was not something Sasuke wanted to do at a restaurant.

“We can leave, you know.” He started softly in that aggravating ‘big brother’ tone. 

Sasuke scoffed to cover up how badly he wanted to take up his offer.

“We’re already here, might as well enjoy what you paid for.”

“I only paid for seating so far.”

“It’s enough.”

“Sasuke.” He looked up again, forcing himself to look the older Uchiha in the eye. When had it become so hard to do so? (he knew exactly when.)

“You never got over it, did you?” Ahh, Sasuke definitely didn’t want to have this conversation, let alone in this environment. It would ruin the pleasure of the pizza. But Sasuke knew that there was no room for argument when Itachi refused to back down from their staring contest. Well, if he wanted to play that game, Sasuke was more than willing to play by his cards (his strongest was to flee, but he kept that in his back pocket for now).

“Neither did you.”

“This isn’t about me Sasuke.”

“It doesn’t have to be about me either.”

Itachi’s expression didn’t change, but he sensed the exasperation anyways. The gifts and wonders of being able to read an Uchiha.

Before he could ask more questions, their order came and was placed on their table in a delicate manner, the lady bowing slightly and smiling, asking for anything else before leaving. The blessing that was the distraction of food was welcomed with open arms, and Sasuke watched Itachi cut the slices out with little interest. Naruto, having abandoned his horrific drawing, now swung his legs in excitement, eyes shining at the prospect of food. Something finally clicked in his chest, and he was content knowing this decision was one of the few that were right.

The steam was still visible by the time the slices were distributed, but that didn’t stop Naruto from reaching to bite into it. What stopped him was Itachi.

“Naruto, it’s still really hot. Wait for it to cool down a little.” He explained, and Naruto sullenly nodded, eyes trained on his small slice. Itachi was such a sucker for children it hurt _Sasuke_ just thinking about it. He was right when he had admitted to being fond of them, but Sasuke had never seen how much he meant it until it was right in front of him.

Or maybe Naruto was just special. Maybe Itachi had a soft spot for orphan boys who reminded him of his younger brother.

Sasuke bit into the pizza despite the heat, and relished in the burn.

. . .

They didn’t end up finishing their whole pizza, because Itachi and Sasuke never had a very large appetite and Naruto was just tiny (that didn’t mean he ate a little bit though. He ate a surprising amount, and Sasuke was worried just how deep the blonde’s stomach seemed to be). In the end, they just asked for a plastic container and Itachi (after hearing the complaints Sasuke had and then earning a glare that any lesser man would have wilted beneath) paid for their meal, pocketing the mint candies they were given and opening one up for Naruto.

They left with full bellies and a content feeling, and for once the warmth of the restaurant lingered in his chest instead of being chased away by the cold wind.

. . .

When they entered the apartment’s lobby, they were met with Hinata and Neji. The world was really out to get him; the number of people he was running into and having to interact with would drive him up the wall before the day was even over. Too many interactions for his liking. He (not so successfully) stifled a scowl and adjusted the bags in his hand.

Hinata was the first to spot them, giving them a shy wave. The Hyuuga wasn’t actually all that bad; she was quiet and reserved, and only talked when necessary. Her cousin, on the other hand, was a real pain in the ass. He was stuck up and had this complex of how fate made him superior to everyone. He actually had a fall out with Hinata, if the stories were true, and after actually talking it out instead of fighting it out, they became the close family that they are now.

Sasuke couldn’t relate. He couldn’t bring himself to care though.

Neji narrowed his freakishly pale eyes at Sasuke, the glare returned at full force before the Hyuuga spotted Itachi and softened his rage. He was raised with manners, as much of an uptight jerk as he was, and politely bowed his head in greeting the elder, who politely waved in return. Upon moving closer, Sasuke found that they were wearing their winter gear with snowflakes still clinging to their hoods, most likely coming from the outside minutes before they did.

His apartment held numerous students that he knew, and he was pretty sure Hinata and Neji lived here too, and more often than not Neji would wait outside the school premise for the younger Hyuuga. Sasuke only remembered because Neji (begrudgingly) gave him a lift once, and they had to wait for Hinata to finish… whatever club she was a part of.

“Hello Sasuke-kun.” Hinata softly greeted them as they all stepped into the elevator, giving the bouncing blonde a quick once over with her equally freakish pale eyes.

Sasuke grunted back, and then mumbled a ‘hi’ when Itachi prodded his back with his elbow, the jerk.

“Who’s the kid?” Neji asked, raising an eyebrow at Naruto. The blonde was shamelessly staring up at the man, mouth open and awe shining in his eyes.

“Distant relative.” He muttered, cursing the elevators slow ascend. Neji looked down at the blonde, then back up at Sasuke and Itachi, and his freakishly pale eyes glinted with a ‘you’re-shitting-me’ look.

“Woah mister, yer’ eyes are really pretty.” Naruto suddenly pointed out, and Sasuke stifled a smirk when Neji’s pale skin coloured with a rosy tint on his cheeks. He didn’t stifle it well, because Neji glared at him before clearing his throat and awkwardly thanking Naruto, who had already turned to admire Hinata’s eyes.

“Yer’s too! I like them a lot.”

The idiot.

Much like her cousin, Hinata blushed at the compliment, but giggled at pet Naruto’s hair with long, delicate fingers.

“You’re so sweet, I like your eyes too.”

Naruto positively beamed.

The elevator reached the third floor, dinged, and opened the doors, letting the two Hyuuga’s out. Sasuke glared at the back of Neji’s arrogant head until the door closed and started back up again.

“Otouto, you are so rude.”

“Frick off Itachi.”

. . .

With the groceries all put away, Sasuke also put away all the dishes that were left on the drying rack before re-entering the living room. He sighed, feeling the days unproductive hours playing Minecraft now made up for.

Itachi was on the sofa, legs crossed by the ankles as he brushed his hair over his shoulder. The long strands fell like silk against the bristles, and Sasuke was 100% sure that the man used some fruit-scented conditioner. Naruto had come back from the bathroom, and ran to Itachi’s side to ask him something. The man nodded and handed the blonde the brush, maneuvering himself off the sofa and onto the ground while Naruto stood behind him, and eager look on his face.

Sasuke blinked twice to make sure he wasn’t seeing things, but no, his vision was perfect.

The small blonde brought the brush up and combed it through Itachi’s hair, giggling softly when the strands obeyed his command. Itachi never let _anyone_ touch his hair; the only time Sasuke could remember him doing so was…

… when he himself had asked Itachi to brush his hair.

In his living room sat him and his older brother, who sat on the floor with a peaceful expression. One not weighed by responsibilities set on his shoulders too early in life. He sat silently, content with Sasuke carding through his long, silky strands and smiling when the boy let his hand stroke his head to feel how soft it was. Sasuke had _loved_ brushing Itachi’s hair. It was less thick than their mother’s, whose locks were healthy and full, and therefore hard to manage for a child. Itachi’s was slightly thinner and shorter, and was always so soft and fun to play with. Sasuke would beg Itachi to let him brush it after he got out of the shower, or whenever he came back from school. Sasuke himself didn’t have fun hair to play with, and therefore took great pleasure in letting the brush slide through dark strands undisturbed.

Itachi now sat, much like he did before, with that same content look on his face. Naruto gently raised the brush, bringing it down and then petting the smooth hair. Sasuke blinked back the sudden dry heat forming in his eyes and swallowed thickly.

“Itachi, yer’ hair’s so soft.” Naruto breathlessly let out, a smile on his lips. Even though the hair didn’t need any more combing through, Itachi still let the blonde play with it.

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Is Sas’ke’s hair soft too?” he asked, oblivious to said Uchiha standing by the kitchen’s frame.

“Yeah, you should go ask him to brush it too.”

“D’ya’ think he’ll let me?” Naruto’s back was to him, but Sasuke could hear the hesitancy in his voice.

“Naruto, he may not look it, but Sasuke is actually a really big softie.” Itachi slowly began to explain, and Sasuke bristled from where he stood. He wanted to stomp over there and yank his stupid aniki’s hair, but a small portion inside him wanted to know what Itachi had to say. Naruto was a nobody, an orphan who ran away from his orphanage. What Itachi was about to say wouldn’t affect the blonde in the slightest.

He hoped.

“Really? He’s so mean.” Naruto giggled, happily petting Itachi’s head.

“That may be true, but Sasuke actually really likes you. He just doesn’t like showing how he feels.”

“That… kinda’ makes sense?” Naruto pouted in confusion; brows furrowed as his brain began trying to understand this new information.

“It’s because he was just like you when he was a kid. He sees himself in you, and wants to make you happy because his chance became ruined.”

Naruto just nodded dumbly, and Sasuke rolled his eyes. The blonde didn’t understand a word that was coming out of Itachi’s mouth, but the older Uchiha seemed to be content with that knowledge. Sasuke waited a moment to see if Itachi would continue, but when he remained silent, Sasuke took a step forward.

“He’s sad, isn’t he?” Naruto asked in a small voice, and he froze, eyes wide. Itachi hummed, leaning back until his head hit the blonde’s chest. After a moment, he responded.

“Yeah, he is.”

Sasuke loudly shuffled from the kitchen entry, signalling his arrival, and Naruto turned to beam at him, all remnants of the previous conversation gone, and Sasuke was fine with that. They were talking nonsense anyway. He wasn’t _sad._ He hadn’t felt sadness since he was a little kid crying at his parents’ funeral. Him being sad would imply that he actually cared about something, which he didn’t. No, these memories were ruthless reminders of what he lost, pushing him to become stronger so it wouldn’t happen again. They weren’t linked to sadness; they were linked to his drive. The drive to become everything that he was not as a kid.

“Sas’ke!” Naruto exclaimed as if he _hadn’t_ just seen him two minutes ago. “C’n I brush yer’ hair!” Never one to beat around the bush, the blonde loudly asked Sasuke, unabashedly staring at him with hopeful eyes and the brush clenched in his grip. Sasuke thought back to Itachi’s statement. _He’s really just a softie._ Sasuke was _not,_ in fact, a softie. But he did remember the joy that came with brushing Itachi’s hair, and honestly, he couldn’t deny the feeling from the blonde. Not after he tasted what having a real brother felt like.

So Sasuke roughly ruffled Naruto’s hair before plopping on the ground and leaning his head on his hand, eyes pointedly ignoring Itachi’s soft smile as he tied his hair into his signature low pony-tail.

He heard Naruto inhale excitedly, and feared that he’d lose several strands to the blonde’s aggressive brushing, but was pleasantly surprised when the bristles gently parted his hair and ran down his scalp like comforting fingers. Naruto brushed his stuck-up locks at the back of his head, laughing at how they refused to go down, but he didn’t stop the soft movements. He could tell why Itachi enjoyed this; it felt nice.

(The last time someone brushed his hair like this was one of the last nights he and his mother spent together.)

He almost didn’t notice Naruto shuffle to face him, caught up in the soothing brushstrokes. He reached forward, and when Sasuke didn’t object, he began brushing his bangs.

Sasuke’s bangs always got puffy when he brushed them, and though they were untangled and smooth, the strands would fluff up. Itachi never failed to point it out, and Sasuke normally flipped him off and went to the shower to fix it up.

But this time Sasuke found himself unable to stop the boy, simply because he was enjoying this sensation too much. Naruto’s little fingers stroked his head, giggling at how soft it was. Sasuke, for the love of the Lord, couldn’t tell him to stop because he missed this too much. This warm feeling in his chest and the feeling of someone else taking care of him.

He didn’t register Itachi leaving the room until Naruto yawned and congratulated himself for a job well done. Sasuke could feel his hair puff up, but he couldn’t find himself to care at the moment. He simply gestured for Naruto to follow him into the kitchen, and wordlessly offered him a glass of milk. His smile said everything he couldn’t put into words.

. . .

Naruto could already feel himself growing taller.

Sasuke had been giving him milk for two days, and he could feel it in his bones, which were obviously growing because that’s what milk did. He didn’t really get to drink a lot of milk, because the orphanage didn’t buy milk. Or, well, they did buy milk, but you only got milk when you were good, and Naruto could never be good enough for milk.

But Sasuke seemed to think he was good, because he gave him milk, so that meant he was behaving himself. He enjoyed it because Sasuke warmed it up and gave it to Naruto for him to drink, because the warm feeling would trail all the way down to his tummy and stay there in a pool of nice-feeling… stuff.

Itachi had gone out for a little bit, to go help the shark-man from yesterday with something, so that left Naruto to chat with Sasuke’s plant (Sasuke was taking a shower). He’s seen plants like this one before, but this one looked sad (a lot like its owner) with its leaves drooping down and a dull colour tinting the edges of its fraying greenery. Naruto felt bad, because Sasuke probably didn’t even notice the plant was sad. Because he didn’t want to make Sasuke worry, he began trying to cheer the plant up by talking to it.

It seemed to be working, because the dirt was looking a lot moister and the leaves were covered in a nice wet shine.

“Yeah, Sas’ke’s r’lly weird. He’s so… rough n’ bumpy. N’ Itachi is r’lly smooth n’ nice n’ always knowns what to do. But Sa’ke thinks a lot before giving me n’ answer. I don’ think he knows what he’s doin’.” Naruto solemnly concluded, sighing. Itachi had noticed it too. Sasuke was always looking like something was hurting him, but he never complained about it. He was really tough, but Naruto also found it kind of sad.

It was like being alone. Because you only face something painful by yourself if you’re alone, like him.

But Sasuke _wasn’t_ alone. He had Itachi, and Itachi was smooth and nice and really did always know what to do. Naruto didn’t understand, because Sasuke had Itachi to confide to and so him suffering by himself made no sense. It was like he _wanted_ to suffer by himself, but who in their right mind would do that?

It made Naruto’s head spin, because Sasuke was _not_ smooth like Itachi.

Sasuke was like the jagged stones he’d find by the park, the ones he’d bring back to his bed and pick at all night. He’d get rid of the annoying sharp edges and rub the weird curves on the floor until it became all smooth. Like Itachi. But he never polished smooth stones, because they were already smooth. He only ever polished rough stones, and he actually really liked polishing rough stones. He got to shape them and feel every edge and curve and find a way to flatten it out. And in the end the stone was his, because he made it and fixed it so it was nice and pretty.

Sasuke was like that, and Naruto couldn’t quite explain what he wanted. He appreciated Itachi, and enjoyed feeling the smooth surface, but he _wanted_ to smooth something out on his own, and he had a feeling Sasuke was just sad because he wasn’t smooth like his older brother. Either that or he was angry about it, because Sasuke seemed to hold a lot of anger.

He explained all this to Sasuke’s plant, who silently agreed with him, its wilted leaves giving their own little nods in Naruto’s mind.

The door to the bathroom opened, and Sasuke came out with his hair slightly wet and a towel in one hand. He had changed too; exchanging his jeans and sweater for a t-shirt and sweatpants. Naruto himself had changed (Sasuke offered him a nice shirt with a cool red and white fan at the back. He looked really pained when he gave it to Naruto though, so he made sure to obediently put it on without complaints, not that he had any. It was really soft).

He gave Naruto a quizzical look before rolling his eyes and walking into his room. Naruto shrugged, bid his goodbyes to the plant, and followed the Uchiha.

Sasuke’s room wasn’t messy, per se, but it wasn’t tidy either. The bed wasn’t made and the desk was littered with papers and books, but all his clothes were neatly hung and folded away in his closet, and everything on his shelf was displayed in an orderly fashion. The blinds were still drawn, but the setting sun peeked through the small openings, showing off a slightly calmer storm. Naruto liked his room a lot, because the walls were a soft shade of blue that matched the living room. It suited Sasuke.

The Uchiha was currently gesturing for Naruto to sit on the bed while he shuffled through his clean shelf. The blonde obeyed, happily sitting on the softest bed he had ever seen. It was even matched with plush pillows and a thick comforter too. It felt like heaven to sleep on.

He kind of felt bad for Itachi, who had to sleep on the futon. He was missing out.

Sasuke pulled out a book, and Naruto grinned when he recognized it from the first day he came in. It was the cool ninja book Sasuke had read to him, and he liked it a lot. Especially the main character. He seemed to understand that his best friend was sad and lonely, and needed someone to help support him, but the clan-ninja just ran and sought to choose revenge instead. But instead of giving up, the orphan-ninja continued looking for him. Naruto thought it was nice, to have someone who would go to the ends of Earth just for a friend.

“Okay, so where did we- what are you smiling for?” Sasuke plopped down next to him, giving him a pointed stare. Naruto tried to stop his giggles, he really did, but they burst out of his mouth anyway and he had to hide it in his open palms. He just felt so giddy, sitting in this nice bed while Sasuke read to him because he couldn’t read himself. It made him _happy_ because Naruto hasn’t been happy in a very long time. No matter how many smiles he forged, it never made him feel warm. But he didn’t know how to convey this to Sasuke; this bubbly feeling in his chest that made him smile unabashedly, so Naruto just laughed and gave Sasuke his brightest smile. He deserved it.

Sasuke rolled his eyes again, but Naruto saw his ears grow red. He chose not to point it out.

“Anyways, do you remember what happened last?” He asked, opening up to the slotted page. Naruto nodded enthusiastically, mind instantly going back to the scene where the two ninjas met at the valley. He really hoped the orphan-ninja convinced his friend to go back to their village; it would be better for both of them.

. . .

Naruto tried to fight off the yawn, but it broke past his lips anyways and left his eyes watering. Sasuke glanced down before marking the page and setting it aside. The blonde pouted, because he didn’t want Sasuke to stop, but knew that it was a lost cause when his eyelids felt heavy. He rubbed at them to try and get rid of the weight, but it only served to make it worse.

“It’s only eight.” Sasuke mused, but nudged him to his side of the bed non-the-less.

“I c’n stay up longer. ‘Tachi s’not here yet.” He muttered, fighting back against another yawn. He never knew listening to someone read could make him so sleepy.

“He’ll be back soon.”

What’re you gonna’ do?”

“Homework.”

Naruto made a face, because homework was yucky, but nodded anyway, sighing as he cuddled against the softest pillow he’d ever known. Sasuke left the door slightly ajar, and left Naruto to spend his last night in the comforts of his bed.

. . .

“Where’s Naruto?”

Sasuke looked up from his book, using the distraction to stretch his aching back.

“He’s asleep.”

Itachi hummed, softly closing the door behind him before hanging his coat. Sasuke eyed him as he went into the kitchen, probably to go indulge in some God-forsaken junk, before moving back to pack up his things. Itachi came back (as predicted, a small chocolate in his hands) and sat on the sofa across from him, fingering the packet until it opened.

“Have you decided on what you’re going to do with him?” He asked, taking a small bite. Sasuke shrugged half-heartedly and stuffed everything in his bag. Truth be told Sasuke had been trying to ignore the looming decision that he had to take tomorrow evening. The storm would likely die down, but Sasuke intended to bring Naruto back to the orphanage. He knew how painful it was to live there, but the fact of the matter was that Naruto wasn’t going to survive out in the cold like this. It just wasn’t plausible, and Sasuke couldn’t live with the knowledge that the blonde was going to die beside his apartment.

He would be safer, even if he was miserable.

“You’re going to send him back, right?” Itachi hummed, being _Itachi Uchiha_ and therefore knowing exactly what was on his mind.

“… yes.”

“It’s the right thing to do. You can’t leave him outside.”

“I know.”

Itachi sighed and finished his treat, pocketing the wrapper before scooching over to sit next to Sasuke, their arms brushing. Sasuke could feel the cold chill that came from Itachi’s skin, but welcomed the touch with silent appreciation (not that he would ever admit it).

Because if he was being honest, this past weekend had probably been the most painful few days he ‘s ever spent. It was like his mind was folding in on itself, and his heart couldn’t keep up. The past was reaching for him, trying to strangle him while he barely managed to stay afloat. He had no idea how Itachi was faring so well. He seemed happy letting the memories drown him. But then again, Itachi was always one step ahead in the game; knowing him, he would gladly take a step back and stop running, letting the past catch up to him and welcoming it with open arms.

But Sasuke couldn’t do that. He couldn’t. He was a coward and was too afraid to face what would inevitably hurt him. He hated weakness, and saw how these memories rendered him useless. Naruto was just a random boy he picked up off the side of the road, and yet he seemed to know exactly what was going through his head.

 _“He’s sad, isn’t he?”_ He knew, he knew the pain growing in his chest and constricting the air in his lungs. He thought he had suppressed that dark abyss, but it was coming back to bite him, festering in his mind and laying itself bare. He was a man that played by his best cards, and his ace was to run.

_“Yeah, he is.”_

Itachi placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently, bringing him back to the present. Sasuke looked up into his aniki’s eyes, finding the impassive stare swimming with understanding. He scoffed, because what did Itachi know? He had given himself up, but Sasuke was a fighter. He was a coward, but he was also a fighter. He wouldn’t give into this need of wanting what he lost. He was stronger than that.

Besides, Naruto would be gone by tomorrow, and then school would start back up, and Sasuke would forget this all ever happened (just like he wants to forget everything else).

“He was good for you, you know. Even if you don’t believe it.”

“Easy for you to say. He was better for you than anything.” Sasuke shot back, but it held no bite. He really was happy that Itachi found a sort of peace in the little blonde. He was glad he got to see Itachi’s smile. Naruto had done them both favours, and even though it hurt his chest to think about it, he was grateful that Itachi was able to feel warm (even if it was just temporary, it was better than nothing).

“I know you’ll miss him.”

“You’ll miss him too.”

“He’s a brat, I’m glad to finally get rid of him.” He smirked, but Itachi’s ancient eyes held a different story. Sasuke turned to ask what was wrong, but as quick as it came, it left, and Itachi’s infamous stone-hearted stare entered those eyes. Sasuke, up until now, thought the look had suited him. Now it looked wrong. It didn’t suit him at all.

“Get some sleep, otouto.” Itachi gave his shoulder another soft squeeze before getting up and setting his futon, leaving Sasuke with the soft stinging sensation on his forehead and the feeling of being a child all over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ,,,,,


	4. Liar liar,,,but if you smile enough it's okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With calming winds normally came calming feelings. But they weren't normal. They were far, far from normal.

He woke up with a heavy feeling in his chest.

It was like the air was avoiding him, making him regret breathing in the first place. His movements are sluggish and it’s only when he realizes he hasn’t opened his eyes that he proceeds to do so.

He’s met with nothing.

Naruto, as usual, had woken before him, and his side of the sheets were rumpled and pulled to the side. Sasuke draws in a deep breath, holding it before releasing it in a long sigh, successfully dissipating the heavy feeling, though remnants of… something still ate away at his conscience. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and pulled the sheets off his body, going through his normal routine.

Naruto is sitting in Itachi’s lap while the Uchiha scrolls through his Netflix account for something to watch when Sasuke spots them. He huffs, because only his brother would want to watch something in the wee hours of the morning. They both spot him and give their usual ‘good morning’s, and Sasuke feels that weight come back full force.

The blonde doesn’t look saddened by the fact that this was his last day staying with him. He looked as optimistic as he had from night one, and Sasuke had the inkling that Naruto liked to cover his thoughts with smiles. He shook his head, because it wasn’t really his business and therefore had no business investigating.

Breakfast was eaten on the floor (Itachi wanted to eat his leftovers, so Naruto obviously agreed with him, being the sucker he was, and Sasuke didn’t feel like cooking) while Itachi picked a documentary and Sasuke shuffled through his homework. He didn’t actually have a lot to do, seeing as he finishes most of his work on time, but homework was homework and no matter how fast you were at finishing it, some was always assigned for after-school hours.

He tuned out Naruto’s squeals and comments about the nature documentary, and focused on finishing his work (and ignoring the weight in his chest). For once, it finished too fast for Sasuke, and he was left with nothing but a boring documentary to watch.

It was about the world’s different biomes and whatnot, going on and on about the variety of animals and then adding a guilt-trip to the viewers by solemnly adding in how those species were endangered. Sasuke has actually watched this documentary before, faded memories from back in high school, and how he got too emotionally attached to some crab only to find out it was borderline extinct. He never felt more guilty to eat breaded crab than he had in those following weeks, and he didn’t even know what type of crab it _was._

A snow fox appeared on the screen, and Naruto practically screamed, pointing to it with eager fingers.

“’Tachi, ‘Tachi, look! It’s _white. White!_ I didn’ know foxes could be _white._ An’ it lives in the snow!”

“Mhm, it lives with polar bears.”

“Woah.” He breathed, too excited from some documentary, but Sasuke couldn’t really do anything about it. If he had become emotionally attached to some crab, he couldn’t really judge Naruto for getting hyped about some white fox (apparently his favourite animal).

He really didn’t have a solid plan on what to do for today, and video games were _not_ an option because he could only spend so much time being ganged up on before it physically hurt (Naruto had jumped on him at some point as a distraction, the jerk). The wind outside wasn’t as bad as yesterday, with even less snow, but it was still cold and Sasuke had no intention of indulging in the outdoors. He was actually puzzled about why Itachi was still here too. Normally he would leave Sunday night, having spent his weekend with him, and go back to his dorm room located across the city in his University.

So it was still confusing him on why he was still here. Did his University cancel his classes? Highly doubtful, unless he had an extended break for some reason. In any case, Itachi was here in his apartment rather than hitching a ride back to his own dorm room with Deidara (Sasuke had no idea how Itachi could stand the guy; he was the single most annoying person Sasuke knew, and the blonde held a weird grudge on him too, because _Itachi_ had beat him in every Ultimate match they’ve had and he took it out with anger towards Sasuke).

Well, whatever it was, Itachi hadn’t displayed any sort of plan on getting out any time soon (he had even brought his own alarm clock, which was now plugged in and sitting on his table). In the end, the only thing that it would do would be making Naruto’s departure that much more painful.

Sasuke shook his head lightly and gently closed his book. If Itachi and Naruto were unfazed by the upcoming heartbreak, then who was he to dwell on something like that? He would play along for today, and then when the time came to separate, he would steel his nerves and hand the boy back. He might as well enjoy the next few hours, and not waste away Itachi’s smile.

But the question still hung around in the air; what would they do for the day? Sasuke didn’t have many friends who he hung out with outside of school hours, and those he _did_ hang out with were weird. Suigetsu lived with Kisame, and he was pretty sure Naruto loved him and his sharp teeth. He wouldn’t shut up about how ‘cool Kisame-san was’ and how ‘Suigetsu-kun’s looks like a cool shark too!’. He had about enough of the guy’s smug looks after hearing these comments.

Karin was always manageable in small, bite-sized doses. If Sakura had been over-bearing, Karin was just plain _over._ She was smart and funny and knew how to rile up Suigetsu, but she was beyond the average schoolgirl with a crush. Where normal girls would giggle, she would knock the wind out of him by bodily _throwing_ herself. Again, manageable in small doses.

Juugo… he was actually okay, but he never talked unless spoken to and had this weird obsession with nature. He would be drooling right now if he found out there was a nature documentary playing in his living room, except with Juugo, instead of drooling he’d just get doe-eyed.

And to top it off, he didn’t want to go outside.

Bored out of his mind, Sasuke pulled out his phone and decided it was about time he left all his unread messages on read.

He was, for some reason he could not fathom, on a group chat called Konoha, which was stupid because who named their chat ‘leaf’? Inside were a dozen or so people who all came from the local neighbourhood or knew each other since middle school, most going way back to their elementary days. He hated to admit it, but he was part of that tight-knit circle, and had their names taking up brain storage. He wouldn’t open the chat for weeks at a time, and then when he did it was to get rid of the hundreds of notifications he had. They would call him out for it, but he would be gone by the time their complaining started. Right now, Sakura was reminding everyone of their plans for tonight, and retyping the address when Kiba told her he forgot.

He also opened up his Taka chat, also with a few hundred notifications, mostly just Karin and Suigetsu bashing at each other. He scanned through his private messages, brow furrowing when he found that _Neji_ texted him.

(He only had his number because they had had a group project together and needed to work over the break. That had been such a pain, and Sasuke had lost several years of his life to the jerk’s constant ass-of-an-attitude.)

He opened it up, eyes narrowing when he saw the short paragraph he sent him. Neji never texts him; he’s surprised he still has his contact saved. In any case, there was a new message there, and Sasuke found himself reading it against his will.

_I wouldn’t have texted you over my dead body._

What a prick.

_But Hinata convinced me to forward Sakura’s message._

Everyone knew that after their fallout, the two Hyuuga became like siblings (topped off with Hinata’s father adopting Neji after _his_ father died when he was young), so it wasn’t surprising how easily Hinata would be able to persuade her cousin. But he was still suspicious. If Sakura was getting desperate enough to convince Hinata to convince Neji to text him, then her message must be important.

But Sasuke couldn’t care less about how important it was.

He continued reading.

_Sakura is requesting your presence to Yamanaka’s gathering, though I don’t understand why she would want someone like you to come, -_

What a _prick._

_-in any case, she’s given you the address and time. Please do not show up._

Sasuke didn’t bother replying and angrily shut off his phone. Leave it to Hyuuga to mess up his mood.

So Haruno was still trying to get him to come? She had been going on and on about it, and he’d even heard it from some other guys in his basketball and ultimate teams too. Apparently it was a get-together for the Konoha kids (he cringed) and Yamanaka was hosting it. She lived in a small home with a few other roommates, and from the given address, it was by Akimichi’s Barbeque place.

He thought over the invitation. It was going to start in a few hours, but tomorrow was a school day, so he didn’t really understand why they were going to fill their cups with alcohol and wake up with killer hangovers. Unless it was one of those potlucks that Akimichi liked setting up. If it was one of those it would mean no alcohol, or very little. He frowned when he realized he’d have to leave Itachi in his apartment alone, because he sure wasn’t leaving him with Naruto, and that fate had laid out two parties for his weekend to occupy the little blonde.

He was going to have to leave early if he wanted to reach the orphanage before closing hours, which made his frown deepen. He could do that. It was one last fun trip before Naruto would leave and Sasuke would go back to his normal life.

He would even avoid having Itachi there with him when he dropped Naruto off. It was a low ploy, but he could see how fond his brother was of the boy, and if he knew any better, he could assume Itachi would try to smuggle Naruto into his dorm.

Making up his mind, he opened up his phone’s contacts and scrolled through until he found Sakura’s name.

 _I’ll be there._ He wrote, and a few seconds later Sakura’s reply came.

 _That’s good to hear! See you then._ And then she was gone. He huffed, pocketing the device and crossing his arms, eyes drifting to the blonde bundle in his aniki’s lap. What a bothersome brat he turned out to be.

(Itachi wasn’t the only one that was fond of him.)

. . .

“So you’ll be heading out soon?” Itachi asked, glasses resting on the bridge of his nose and a book in his hand. He found out it was actually a literature assignment he got over his break (because after Sasuke eventually came around to asking him about it, he explained his current freedom), not something he was reading for fun, but knowing him he was enjoying it anyways.

“Yeah, so don’t destroy my apartment.” Sasuke chided, placing the plates in the drying rack.

“You have such low expectations for me, little brother, it hurts.” Itachi feigned, placing a hand on his chest before flipping the page.

“What will you do while I’m gone?”

“Are you taking your car?”

“… no.”

“I might go to the library. I need some material from there.” That meant using Sasuke’s card, and then piling fines on him like _always._

“I’ll need you to drive us first,” Sasuke informed, stepping out of the kitchen and plopping down on his sofa. Naruto was in the bathroom, and the sound of the tap running dully streamed into the living room.

“Why don’t you drive yourself?” Itachi asked curiously, and Sasuke refrained from punching him because he was a _jerk_ and _knew_ the reason his license was suspended and liked to rub it in anyways.

“Shut up.” He muttered instead, and then internally groaned when he realized that if Itachi had the car, he would be picking them up, and therefore would be present for Naruto’s departure.

Just great.

He pushed those thoughts away and raised his eyes to the ceiling, taking a deep breath to clear his head. No time like the present; it would be a waste if he let his thoughts interfere with the few hours he had left with the blonde brat.

Naruto came out, hair bouncing in wild, short tuffs and dripping slightly from the front from where he washed his face. He bounded to Sasuke, settling beside him and grinning like a fool. All Sasuke had told him was that they’d be going to a gathering with a bunch of his ‘school acquaintances’ (Naruto didn’t know what that meant, so he mustered up enough self-will to say ‘friends’) and that Naruto was going to come with him. He pointedly left out the detail of dropping him off later, but Sasuke had the feeling that Itachi knew his plan, if the side-eyed glances he gave him were anything to go by.

Sasuke had made him wear another one of his old shirts, which was too big like the other ones, and swamped his thighs and knees and made him look like a penguin all over again. His clothes were in the drying in the machine at the moment, so he would at least have a clean pair to wear before they went. The wind outside was still gusting but had dwindled since yesterday.

For a stupid little prick, Naruto was surprisingly observant. He had asked Sasuke about the Uchiha crest on the backs of all his shirts, and Sasuke had obviously answered like the full-grown man he was and replied with a ‘don’t worry about it’. Naruto had pouted, but then grinned and rubbed Sasuke’s arm, saying they looked pretty anyways. Sasuke had stood, frozen while Naruto bounded to Itachi to ask the same question.

He had also asked to brush his hair, and he grumbled out an ‘okay’.

“Where’re we goin’?” He asked as Sasuke took him down the stairs to the laundry room, bag in hand. The dryer should be done, and just in time too; they had to leave soon if they wanted to get ready and leave on time.

“The laundry rooms.”

“M’kay.”

They turned to the room at the end of the hallway, opening the door with his hip and letting Naruto in first before following in himself. He was met with an empty room, save for the dark-haired women pulling out clothes from one of the machines. Naruto stared at her back, and Sasuke had this sinking feeling in his stomach that the blonde was going to do something stupid, before his suspicions were confirmed and the boy waddled up to her and tugged on her sleeve. Hinata looked down, eyes softening when she saw Naruto. Sasuke shrugged and left them, because those clothes weren’t going to get themselves and Sasuke didn’t want to overexert the number of social interactions he needed to participate in today.

“Yer’ the pretty lady from the elevator!” Naruto blatantly started, because children were oblivious to the gift that was subtlety. Hinata giggled softly, bending down to ruffle his hair and talk to him in a much more respectable tone.

“Hey there little guy! I never caught your name?”

“I’m Naruto!”

She hummed, slowly folding the clothes in her basket, probably more slowly than needed, but Sasuke couldn’t complain about her distracting the brat.

“So, Naruto, how are you doing?”

He babbled about breakfast and watching a documentary and made Sasuke slap his forehead when he mentioned the party they were attending later.

“Oh,” Hinata breathed, surprise evident in her tone, “I didn’t know you guys were coming.”

“Sas’ke said it was where all his friends were goin’.” Naruto clarified as if that explained everything.

“Hm, well it would be a shame if he missed out on hanging out with his friends, right?” Was… was Hyuuga making _fun_ of him? The same way Itachi would make fun of his lack of a social life? In that soft tone underlined with incredulous notions and a teasing edge that drove Sasuke nuts because he could never tell if they were serious? And here he had thought Hinata was just some shy little girl who was freakishly good at boxing. He didn’t know if he was pissed or impressed.

“Yeah! Are you goin’ too?” He asked, rocking on his heels.

“Yeah, I am, so I’ll see you there?” She asked, getting up and resting the basket on her hip. Naruto nodded enthusiastically, taking her offered hand and shaking it before watching her leave. He wandered to Sasuke’s side when she disappeared around the corner.

“Is she one of yer’ friends?” He asked, and Sasuke oh so badly wanted to say no, but then that would lead to more questions that he didn’t want to answer, so he simply nodded and ruffled Naruto’s hair with more force than necessary.

“Yer’ such a meany.” He whined, but helped Sasuke (crudely) fold his socks up and put them into his bag.

. . .

It was by some miracle that they ended up having only two hours to spare.

Two hours in which Sasuke trimmed his hair, and decided to trim Naruto’s shapeless mop into something nice.

But he forgot that Naruto was a prick, and therefore never made anything easier than it could have been. He ducked under Sasuke’s legs before he could react, and launched himself at Itachi, who also never made his life easy. He picked the blonde nonchalantly, resting him on his hip while Naruto wrapped his arms around his neck, a smug grin on his face that made his face squish up and make him look dumb.

“Naruto, we don’t have this kind of time.” Sasuke… well, he didn’t _scold_ him because that’s what’s mother’s do, and he was _not_ a mother… but he semi-scolded him, resting a hand on his hip as he dangled scissors in his hand. “If we want to get there on time I need to start _now.”_

Itachi at least had enough brain cells to realize that would mean having to speed on an icy road in order to not be late and gave Naruto an apologetic look before placing him down.

“But I don’ wanna’ cut my hair.” The blonde whined like the brat he was, pouting, but made no move to run away as Sasuke dragged him by the arm into the bathroom.

“I’m not cutting off that much. I’m just fixing it.”

“I don’ wanna’ duckbutt.”

Sasuke resisted the very strong urge to smack him in the head, and instead grumbled ‘I’m not going to cut it like mine’ before sitting him down on the chair, draping the towel over his small shoulders. Naruto shivered and giggled when Sasuke sprayed his head with water. The blonde strands stuck together in wet clumps, and Sasuke watched how there seemed to be no shape to his hair, and whoever cut it was merely shortening the tuffs.

He formalized a design in his head, starting at the base on Naruto’s head and snipping off the blonde locks, shortening them the most and leaving it as a more of a fuzz than the long strands from before. Inuzuka seemed to have similar hair, except curlier, so Sasuke went off with his haircut. Long at the top and shorter at the bottom to lessen the weight but not the depth.

By the time he was finished, wet clumps of golden hair littered his floor, and Naruto was bouncing in excitement to see what he looked like (Sasuke had faced him away from the mirror so he would stop making faces at himself and moving around). Naruto first glanced at all the hair on the floor, then went up to pat his head (probably surprised that it wasn’t getting in his damn _eyes.)_ When Sasuke took his shoulder and turned him toward the mirror, his mouth formed a little ‘o’.

Sasuke maneuvered around and cleaned the blonde up, dusting the towel before grabbing the broom and sweeping the mix of dark and light hair. All the while Naruto played with his trimmed locks, seeing all the changes Sasuke made.

Finally, a huge grin broke out on his face and he whipped around to encase Sasuke in a hug. Or, well, he tried to. His arms didn’t fit all the way around his waist and his head knocked into his stomach, but he hugged him tight anyways, and Sasuke patted his head.

“I look sho pretty!” he squealed; voice muffled by being squished into Sasuke’s abdomen. “Thanshk-you!”

“I told you it would be good.”

Naruto just nodded, letting him go and bounding out into the living room, no doubt to show off his new looks to Itachi. Sasuke huffed and breath and rested his hand on the warm spot on his stomach, eyes blinking when he realized the warmth didn’t waver or leave.

. . .

“’Tachi! ‘Tachi look!” He waved at the man, pointing to his hair. Sasuke had actually cut it nicely. And it didn’t even hurt. When his hair was cut in the orphanage, they always pulled too hard and never made it look nice. He always thought that they were just trying to make him bald, so Naruto made it as hard as possible for them to cut it.

But Sasuke had been gentle, and he grinned to himself when he felt the damp tuffs on his head, liking how it wasn’t in his eyes and felt lighter than before.

“Sasuke did a good job.” Itachi mused, lightly running his fingers through Naruto’s hair and nodding, giving Sasuke a lazy thumbs-up. “He should cut my hair too.”

“Cut your own hair.”

“You hurt me.”

Sasuke was weird like that. He would act really nice and soft for one second and then Itachi would say something and then he acts like a big meany all over again. Actually, Sasuke was only ever a meany to Itachi, but Itachi was always so nice; it didn’t make any sense. A lot about Sasuke didn’t make sense. It hurt Naruto’s head having to try and figure him out, but it would totally be worth it (he hoped). 

“Naruto, go wear your jacket.” It made him feel warm and giddy when Sasuke said _his_ jacket was _Naruto’s_ jacket; as if it belonged to him.

“M’kay.” He chirped in response, reaching for the clothing on the barstool at the kitchen. Sasuke had done this really cool thing where he put the sweater inside the jacket by pulling the sleeves through, so it actually looked like just one extra warm jacket, and Naruto didn’t need help pulling his arms through the sleeves. He slipped on the worn but soft material, feeling the heat already prickling against his back. If they didn’t leave soon, he’d get too hot and then would need to take it off. He patiently waits at the door, digging his socked toe into the floor (because Sasuke had actually _washed_ his socks for him) and trying to ignore the weight of the heat pressing against his skin.

“Okay, we’re good. Itachi?” Sasuke came out with his own jacket, pocketing his phone and turning to his older brother, who nodded and led the way to the car.

The drive, like the other ones, was uneventful, and Naruto swung his legs to the beat of the song that lightly thrummed in the car’s speakers. Sasuke pointed directions, but Naruto had no idea where they were going. The snow was blocking his window’s view, and the streets all looked the same, but he trusted Sasuke’s judgement.

They reached their destination, but Itachi made no move to get out of the car, which made Naruto confused.

“Why aren’t you comin’?” Naruto asked, tugging on Itachi’s sleeve from the back.

“I’m not invited, Naruto; I don’t know anyone here.”

“Where’re you goin’?”

“The library.”

Naruto scrunched his nose, because who would go to the library for _fun._ But Itachi seemed smart enough to make his own decisions, so Naruto refrained from warning him about how boring libraries were. He nodded, leaned against the seat to give the man a hug around the neck, and smiled when he ruffled his hair as a departing gift. He hopped out of the car and watched Itachi drive away, disappearing into the thick flurry of snow.

Something heavy settled in his chest, watching the black vehicle leave his sight; something he didn’t like. Like he was missing something, or losing something precious, but that was silly because he’d see Itachi when he came to pick them up. He shook his head, smiled against the twinge in his mind, and forced those dark thoughts away. He couldn’t act like a spoiled brat; Sasuke had already done so much for him, he had saved his life. He couldn’t go and have the luxury to _miss_ them because that would be selfish.

He walked beside Sasuke to the door of a small house, watching him ring the doorbell. He wasn’t going to let his nervousness get to him this time. Sasuke had assured him the last time they went out that no one would dislike or kick him out, and he had been right. Plus, he had met some of Sasuke’s pretty friends, and they were really nice. So, he took a deep and shoved the worry down deep, locking it up as best as he could, but when Sasuke silently offered his hand, Naruto couldn’t help but think that maybe Sasuke was a bit nervous too. Without saying anything, he took the offered hand and squeezed it.

The door opened, and a tall boy with dark hair peeked through with squinted eyes. They widened by a fraction when they saw Sasuke, before he opened the door fully and let them come in with a small gust of wind.

“Hey Sasuke, I didn’t think you’d show up.” Then after a pause, “Not that I’m not glad you made it.” Naruto didn’t think he _looked_ very glad. He looked really bored, almost like he wanted to fall asleep.

“Hm, I had nothing better to do.”

“Touche. I can take your jackets.”

Sasuke thanked him when he took his jacket and instructed Naruto to do the same, and the guy’s eyes snapped to him. He wasn’t _that_ small that no one was able to notice him on the first go (it’s not like he was hiding behind Sasuke or anything like that). He didn’t say anything, but offered a nod and took his sweater-jacket too.

He tugged on Sasuke’s hand.

“Who’s that?”

“Hm? That’s Shikamaru. He’s one of the quieter ones.” Sasuke explained, leading Naruto further into the building. Sounds of low beat music thrummed in the air and vibrated in his chest, but after a few seconds, he got used to the feeling. The air smelled like yummy food, and shouts of laughter and words drifted from the main area where most of the people were seated.

Sasuke entered leisurely, ignoring the squeals of some girls and the gaping of some guys as he made his way to the group. Immediately, a girl with long blonde hair bounced up to greet him (she reminded Naruto of Deidara-kun), draping her body against his and clinging to his arm. Naruto wrinkled his nose at the heavy scent of flowers that emitted off if her. It didn’t smell bad (he really liked the smell of flowers) but it was overwhelming for him.

“Sasuke-kun!” she giggled happily, squishing Sasuke’s arm and Naruto in the process, though she didn’t seem to notice him, and calling out might be impolite so he took the body-squishing like a man. The body heat was uncomfortable though, and being pressed between two big people was really doing a number on his personal temperature level.

Finally, Sasuke pried her off with a scoff, and Naruto happily realized that he was still holding his hand. He didn’t mind the warmth he felt while he held Sasuke’s hand.

The blonde girl finally noticed him, and her blue eyes widened comically, and Naruto tried to give her his best smile but the way she was staring was making him uncomfortable, like he was doing something wrong. Which he _wasn’t,_ because Sasuke hasn’t reprimanded him for anything yet.

But whatever was going on through her head seemed to vanish, and a smile spread on her lips as she bent down to his eye level. He resisted the temptation to shuffle and hide behind Sasuke again, because he was brave and could handle some random kindness.

“Who’s this little guy?” She asked not unkindly, grinning at Naruto. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before. I’m Ino.”

She offered him her hand, and with his unoccupied one, he shook it. Her hand was really soft and surprisingly cold, though her fingers were tough like Sasuke’s hand. Still, he grinned at her, and she squealed, removing her hand to cup his face. He didn’t know what to do, so he simply tried smiling through his squished cheeks (no one’s ever squished his cheeks before; he kind of liked it).

“This is Naruto.” Sasuke simply replied, side-eyeing the display as other people turned to look at them. The stares were making him feel over-exposed, but none of them seemed hostile or mean, so he took it as a good thing. Besides, Sasuke had promised him that no one would hurt him, so he placed his trust in the Uchiha and forced himself to be faithful towards his words. Ino lightly patted his cheeks, letting her hands drop down and beaming.

“He’s so _cute_. Who did you steal him from?” She asked, false accusation laced in her tone as she glanced up at him.

“He’s a distant relative.” He muttered back.

“He… he looks nothing like you. No way a cutey like him is even remotely related to you, unless you’re brother-“

“Distant. Relative.” He slotted through gritted teeth, and Ino laughed good-heartedly, her voice reminding Naruto of tinkling bells and forest flowers. He liked her laugh.

“Oh, hi Naruto!” The pretty pink-haired girl from the store called out, crouching beside Ino and offering her hand, which he also took (her hands were really rough, but the way she grasped his was just as gentle as it would have been had her hands been softer).

“Hi.” He replied simply because he didn’t actually know her name (or he forgot it, he couldn’t remember), but she didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m Sakura, do you remember me?”

“Yeah! Yer’ the pretty lady who gave me chocolate!” He exclaimed, and she giggled.

“That’s me. Are you guys hungry? We just got the food out.” She asked, standing up and addressing Sasuke, a small pink blush dusting her cheeks that matched her hair. Sasuke didn’t pay it any mind and simply turned to him with a raised eyebrow. Naruto stared back, not backing down from the challenge, but his eyes were starting to water, and Sasuke wasn’t relenting. Eventually, he blinked, and Sasuke turned away.

“Sure. But do you guys have any juice?” He asked, jutting his head to the blonde. Sakura nodded, leading them away, but not before Ino ruffled his hair and gave his cheek another pat.

Just like last time, Naruto couldn’t see anything on the table, so he let Sasuke pick him up (he made sure to point out their equivalent height) and he got whatever Sasuke got because he was smart and could cook. Though he refrained from getting the nugget things (Sasuke told him they were crab, but Naruto had no idea what a crab was, and it tasted icky), he got himself the sandwich and rice balls. Sasuke gave him a _look_ but took out the food Naruto requested wordlessly, ignoring the off-hand comment about how Sasuke was like a mother goose. Geese were scary, and Sasuke wasn’t scary, so he couldn’t really see the comparison.

“And here’s some juice. I hope you like apple.”

Naruto nodded while Sasuke took the juice box for him, but stayed put by his side as the Uchiha asked the girl a few more questions. He wasn’t really interested in big kid talk, so he took a look around the busy house instead. There were more people here than there had been at shark man's house (he forgot his name again, shamefully), but they weren’t as weird-looking. They talked and ate and some peered over at him, but when he caught their eye they’d just smile and wave. Friendly, thankfully.

Finally, Sasuke handed him his juice (with the straw poked in, _thankfully_ ), but led him away from the big group in the living room, and walked towards one of the separate rooms down the hall.

“Sas’ke, where’re we goin’?” He asked, sipping his juice in small amounts to savour the sweet flavour.

“There’s someone here that’s your age, so you can sit with him.”

“Really!” He didn’t meet too many kids his age. Everyone in his orphanage was either older than him or all infants. He was the youngest child in the older group, and he was only put in that group because he wasn’t in a diaper anymore. All the older kids were in their double digits or close to it, and never really included Naruto in anything because he was ‘too stupid’.

He hoped this kid wasn’t like that.

They entered a room occupied by three people; a blonde woman and a man with short brown hair were trying to coax a crying child with the most fury red hair Naruto’s ever seen. Sasuke cleared his throat after a moment when it became obvious how preoccupied the pair of adults were, and when the man turned around to greet them, his eyes widened.

“Sasuke? Never expected you to show up.” The man said, walking over to clasp the Uchiha on the shoulder. Sasuke didn’t react, but his frown showed his displeasure, to which the man just laughed at. “As anti-social as ever I see. What’re you here for? Who’s the little guy?” He nodded at Naruto.

“This is Naruto. I brought him over because I’m looking after him. I didn’t know you brought Gaara too.”

The man winced.

“Yeah, but as soon as he saw everyone he started crying, and we couldn’t very well just leave him at home alone.”

“Hm, how’s he doing now?”

“Better, though he doesn’t want to come out.”

Sasuke hummed, then nudged Naruto forward with his knee.

“I was wondering if Naruto could hang around Gaara? It’ll be better to have multiple eyes on him.” He asked, though he clearly looked like he didn’t want to. Sasuke didn’t really like asking for things. Another weird bump on the Sasuke rock.

The man’s eyes lit up, and he nodded with a grin.

“For sure man, Temari’s on driving duty today so she’ll keep a sober eye on these two.” Sasuke nodded at that, and then turned to Naruto, who was still staring at the sniffling red-head.

“You better not cause any trouble, you brat.” He simply instructed, and Naruto stuck his tongue out at him in response. The brunette laughed at the exchange, calling over to the blonde women before leading Sasuke out. Naruto awkwardly stood by the door, not really knowing what to do.

“Naruto, was it?” He nodded at the woman. “You can come sit here. This is Gaara. Gaara, say hi.”

The red-head, Gaara, glanced at Naruto with bright teal eyes, furrowing his brow and pursing his lips. Temari sighed, ruffling his hair and then turning to Naruto.

“I’m going outside you two, but if you need anything don’t be afraid to come to me, okay?” Dual nods. “And no funny business. Gaara, be nice, okay?” The boy in question just pouted, obviously putout at being scolded. Temari gave them both a big smile, one that Naruto couldn’t help but return because her smile was really nice and pretty, and she pet both their heads before getting up from her crouch and leaving the room, door slightly ajar. She sort of reminded Naruto of what it would feel like to have a mom.

Naruto turned to Gaara, having his hands freed by putting his plate on the floor. He noted how he didn’t have any food with him, and that he must have missed it. This obviously meant that he had to share, because Gaara was his friend now and wasn’t that was friends did? Sharing in the orphanage was quite rare, and food was given in rations to children in specific slotted times, but once Naruto was given a cookie by the lady at the coffee shop, and he considered her a distant friend. And since Gaara was his age, the friendship would just be strengthened!

“I’m Naruto, and yer’ Gaara, right?” he started, leaning forward to peer at the other boy’s face. Gaara nodded mutely, leaning back and narrowing his eyes.

“You don’ have any food. Are you not hungry?”

A shake of the head.

“Well, I’m hungry, but I dun’ wanna’ eat by myself, ya’ know? So, you wanna’ share?”

A blink.

“Because sharing is caring, and it tastes better when you share.” He explained wisely.

A widening of the eyes and another blink.

“Here, you c’n have half of my san’which.” He started, trying his best to evenly tear the bread. It ended up going a little curved and sideways, and his end had a little bit more bread from the top, but it got the job done, and he happily thrust the other half to Gaara. “Here!”

The other boy took it with slight hesitance, and then quietly thanked him before munching on it, small nibbles in the bread to show he was eating. Naruto grinned, because offering food was one way of making someone happy, and he was a sucker for making people happy.

(He believed that if he made enough people smile, his own smile would never leave him.)

Gaara wasn’t much of a talker, but Naruto thought that was okay. He could talk enough for the both of them, and Gaara was actually really nice. He showed off his small plushie; some sand cat… thing that he named Shukaku or something. It was a little worn and had threads coming loose from the eyes and tail, but Naruto found it was warm and comforting all the same.

He asked Naruto if he owned a plush. Naruto shook his head no.

. . .

There were drinks, because of course there were drinks. But no one seemed to have the intention of getting drunk on a school night, so worst-case scenario would be someone spiking the soda because there wasn’t enough alcohol to indulge in, which in itself was highly unlikely because Sakura seemed to be keeping an eye out for any unwanted beverages. And she had quite the right hook when it came to people pissing her off.

Neji, the stuck-up asshole, was sitting next to him, having equal displeasure in alcohol, and was idly chatting with him and Shikamaru about the upcoming Ultimate game. Sasuke already knew about it, but Neji was the team’s unofficial captain (unofficial because Ultimate didn’t really have captains to begin with), so he seemed to take it in his hands to make sure everyone was aware of the event.

Sasuke was actually dreading the upcoming game, because it was their fall season's last game and therefore meant a lot going into the Spring Competition. If they lost, their ranking would be lower in the starting games, and it would take longer to climb up. Something Sasuke was not looking forward to having to do.

And to top it off, it was going to be raining. No lightning, because they would have cancelled otherwise, but it was still an outdoor game, and he would come home soaking wet and cold, which was undesirable at best. Oh, and Itachi was coming, the jerk, to watch him miserably play within the comfortable dry confines provided by his umbrella and jacket. As it was, it was going to be a long game.

“We’ve already beaten them before; I don’t get what’s the big issue.”

“Apparently they got a new assistant coach, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Sasuke shrugged and sipped his soda again, the fizz tingling on his tongue and bubbling all the way down his throat. Kankurou had assured him that Temari was going to be looking out for the two children, but he couldn’t help but worry about Naruto and his… idiotic tendencies. He was over-energetic; sitting around and chatting wasn’t something he seemed to be capable of doing. Even playing games required a whole lot of jumping and screaming. And Gaara was…a special case. He wasn’t sure how those two would fare.

But he couldn’t really do much about it now. Itachi would come to pick them up in another few hours, and Inuzuka had suggested starting up a game of truth or dare. With nothing better to do (Neji had accused him of being a coward, so just for that he got up and sat down in the circle, because Sasuke Uchiha was anything but a _coward_ and no Hyuuga was going to one-up him), Sasuke joined in.

Kiba started, and spun the half-full bottle around the circle, the nozzle landing on Tenten, and thus began the wretched game played by people of all ages, regardless of maturity level.

Kiba challenged Tenten to do a handstand with soda in her mouth. Tenten asked Ino if it was true that she wasn’t a natural blonde. Ino made Shino take off his sunglasses (low and behold, he had a second pair beneath the first one), and Shino told Shikamaru to dump a bottle of freezing water down his back.

It was quite uneventful.

The nozzle pointed to him, and Shikamaru gave him a lazy blink.

“Truth or Dare.”

No way was he humiliating himself in front of all these moronic idiots doing some dumb stunt.

“Truth.”

Shikamaru’s gaze was calculating, and Sasuke was once again reminded of why he was the undefeated champion of the Chess Club. He was always three moves ahead and had three ideas for each move he had planned, all on top of the backup plans he had for every instance. He was a genius, and could pick apart anyone.

Anyone but Sasuke.

The Uchiha kept his face blank and emotionless, his own stare unwavering and borderline impatient. When the black-haired male didn’t find anything interesting, he sighed and leaned his chin on his open palm, crossing his legs.

“What’s your real relationship with that blonde kid?”

The fucker. Leave it to Shikamaru to name the _one_ thing he didn’t want to talk about. Nothing about potential love-lives or gossip-worthy material; the real-life stuff that made Sasuke itch all over.

“I already told you.” He merely stated.

“Yeah yeah, distant relative. But _how._ How are you two related; what branch do both of you fall under?”

Good question, a question he couldn’t answer because all his relatives were six-feet-under and have been enjoying the taste of cold soil for twelve years. Of course, no one here knew anything except that his parents died when he was seven, but even the thought of pretending someone somewhere out there had the Uchiha name and bore a blonde child now entrusted to him set something wrong in his stomach. Everyone was waiting expectantly for a response, and he already knew that outwardly he looked like he was just impassively building up suspense with his uncaring expression in place on his cold features, but inside he was crippling. Desperately trying to cling onto any sort of excuse he could come up with.

Damn Shikamaru and his ability to become a complete pain in every body part he had.

Said male had one eyebrow raised, waiting for an answer. If Sasuke knew any better, he’d go so far as to say that the ignorant prick actually looked _smug._

So he bottled up that _wrong_ in his stomach, threw it into the depths of his mind, and cleared his eyes of any distress they may give out. If Shikamaru wanted to play this game, then Sasuke would play it, and he would win like he always did.

He shrugged indifferently.

“Some uncle married a blonde and had him. She died and left the two, and now he’s sick, so Naruto is in my care.” An easy lie, one that set a grim atmosphere in the room and left guilt in place of more questions. No one asked questions on sensitive topics, and it seemed to satisfy Nara, because he cast his eyes away and mumbled an apology. Everyone followed in suit, and Sasuke bit back the urge to glare. They didn’t know anything. They didn’t know that all his uncles were dead, and that there hasn’t been a blonde in the family since as far as he could remember researching into it.

Sasuke lazily dared Sakura to get lost, to which earned him several glares and chuckled, but overall, they found his dry comment quite hilarious, and continued playing as if the heavy questioning earlier had never been answered. How sweetly naïve.

When he realized there were only a few lingering drops stubbornly clinging to the idents in his red plastic beer cup, he excused himself to refill his beverage. Climbing the stairs to leave the basement, Sasuke couldn’t help but walk in the small corridor connecting to all the rooms. Naruto and Gaara’s hushed voices could be heard from inside, and when he peeked through the small crack between the doorframe and the door, he couldn’t help but smirk.

Someone (presumably Temari) had leant the small duo their phone, and the two were hunched together, playing… something he couldn’t identify. Naruto giggled in his palms and Gaara tapped away at the screen, a small smile playing on his lips. He’d seen Gaara before, and knew how much of a pain that kid was (his package came with a lot of trauma and aggression) and barely even saw him smile at his _siblings_. Naruto was a magic worker, but even he had to admit his stupid grin was contagious.

Deeming them safe, he turned and made to leave the corridor, but was met with Temari. He gave her a nod, to which she gave him a knowing smile and stood beside him as she too peered into the room.

“I don’t know who your little blonde is, but he sure is special.” She whispered under her breath, turning to meet Sasuke’s eye. It was disconcerting how tall she was compared to him. He probably only had three centimetres on her.

“He’s a brat, trust me.”

“I guess he’s melted your heart too then?” She playfully chided, walking with Sasuke to the table holding all the drinks. He avoided her stare as he poured soda in his cup.

“More like barged in there with no permission.”

She laughed lightly, accepting Sasuke’s offer of pouring her drink as well, and he filled her cup with soda too.

“You probably know how Gaara is like with other people, but I’ve never seen him this friendly with someone, especially a kid his age.”

He hummed in his drink, leaning on the counter and acknowledging that he was listening.

“Who knows. He might want to invite Naruto over later? If that’s okay with you. It’s nice to see him acting like a normal kid for once.” She smiled into her cup, then gave him a pat on the shoulder before moving to go back downstairs, and leaving Sasuke with an even heavier pit than before.

Naruto will probably never see Gaara again, and the small sliver of Gaara’s normalcy will go out the window. It wasn’t technically _Gaara’s_ fault that he held so much baggage (from what Sasuke gathered, he watched his father get murdered and then was kidnapped and labelled as ‘missing’ for a whole week. No one has been able to find out what happened to him during that, but he was messed up in the head afterwards). It was kind of funny, when you looked at it through Sasuke’s (equally messed up) view. Trauma invites suffering, and suffering is never done alone. Those two kids have enough on their plates to keep them going for a lifetime, and through suffering came shared pain and understanding. They say pain is man’s greatest companion, and who better to share it with than with someone who knows exactly what you’re talking about?

(Maybe that’s why Naruto so easily wormed his way into Sasuke’s chest.)

(His greatest companion had always been pain.)

He huffed a breath. He couldn’t be thinking like this now. It was too late. A couple of hours from now the blonde nuisance would be out of his apartment and back into the orphanage, and he would continue his life like he normally did. This was just one unexpected circumstance thrown at him because he let his emotions get in the way of his decision making. Naruto would’ve been dead right now and he wouldn’t have ever known had he not stopped by the front doors those few days ago. And the consequence of this was having to unpack _Naruto’s_ baggage while trying to keep his overflowing suitcase closed.

Oh yeah, he was a trouble-maker all right. Completely messed up Sasuke’s head and was leaving it like a mess. What a child.

(He was a child.)

Sasuke shook his head and walked back down the stairs, sitting next to Neji and sipping his drink.

. . .

The doorbell rang crisp and clear, cutting through the chatter and side conversations effectively. Shikamaru (the only responsible roommate of the house, as he found out that Ino did not, in fact, live here and she had only planned the party) got up like the good host he was and answered the door, peering over the edge of the shelf a few seconds later.

“It’s your brother, Sasuke. He’s here to pick you up.”

Sasuke nodded, discarding his cup and going over to call Naruto from the room he’d been occupying for the last few hours.

“Our rides here.” He simply stated after getting his attention, and the blonde nodded, going over to hug Gaara (it was so sloppy; his arms wrapped around the boy’s head because he was still sitting, but when Gaara got up to even the distance, the hug fixed itself and their little arms wound around each other’s chest. He decided to take an interest in the door’s hinges).

He waved, and Gaara wobbled out of the room to Temari’s side, clinging to her hand and waving back almost shyly. No one would be able to tell that he was the same kid who almost took a bite out of his teacher’s ear.

“I’ll let you know if Gaara’s interested.” Temari smiled, and Sasuke throat felt dry and grainy when he replied with a quiet ‘yeah, sure’. He half-heartedly waved over his shoulder at everyone’s goodbye’s, and slipped his jacket on before zipping Naruto’s up; the wind outside was much more violent than it had been when they arrived.

“Thanks for coming, I guess.” Shikamaru yawned, leaning against the wall beside the bench.

“Thanks for having us.” He replied on auto.

The Nara offered Naruto a fist bump, to which the blonde happily connected with his own, and the two were out the door and met with the chilly pre-winter breeze. He hoped that all the slush would drain away before their game.

“How was it? Did you have fun?” Itachi asked when he finally shut the door and started the car in reverse.

“It was fine.”

“I made a friend ‘Tachi!” Naruto excitedly started, practically jumping in his seat. Itachi smiled, turning into the direction Sasuke pointed to.

“That’s great. I’m sure he’s happy to have a friend like you.”

“You think so?” He asked, eyes shining. Sasuke turned to look out his window as Itachi figured out the rest of the route. Something glinted in his eye as he smiled in the mirror at the blonde.

“Definitely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter,,, I've never struggled more than I have now. I never thought it would take so much effort to fill up a lazy Monday.  
> btw, thank you to everyone who leaves lovely comments on this fic; i read them like, twenty times (because I'm a loser) and they never fail to make me smile.

**Author's Note:**

> okay okay okay so, like, i just really love them,,  
> uhm, so, Itachi being a soft-hearted fool for children? yes, because he misses being a big brother and Sasuke's too prideful to be babied  
> Naruto just wants head pats, ya know?


End file.
